daily report tuesday, 12 june 2018 contentsqnadailyreport.blob.core.windows.net/qnadaily...jun 12,...

Daily Report Tuesday, 12 June 2018

This report shows written answers and statements provided on 12 June 2018 and the

information is correct at the time of publication (06:32 P.M., 12 June 2018). For the latest

information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements,

please visit:

CONTENTS

ANSWERS 6

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 6

Coal: Consumption 6

Coal: Exports 6

Department for Business,

Energy and Industrial Strategy:

Consultants 6

Energy: Meters 7

Free Movement of Labour 7

Hinkley Point C Power Station 8

Independent Industrial

Strategy Council 8

Industry 8

Manufacturing Industries:

Employment 9

Ports 10

Renewable Energy: Feed-in

Tariffs 10

Research: Finance 11

Transport : Carbon Emissions 11

Transport: Carbon Budgets 11

CABINET OFFICE 12

Cabinet Office: Written

Questions 12

Liver Cancer: Mortality Rates 12

Polling Stations 12

Prison Officers: Retirement 12

Public Sector: Procurement 13

DEFENCE 13

Armed Forces: Catering 13

Armed Forces: Recruitment 13

Army Foundation College 14

Ministry of Defence: Official

Cars 14

Tornado Aircraft 14

Tornado Aircraft: Accidents 15

Warships: Sunderland 15

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND

SPORT 15

Cybercrime 15

Local Press 15

Nutrition: Children 16

Sportsgrounds: Safety 17

Voluntary Work: Young People 17

EDUCATION 18

Academies: Expenditure 18

Apprentices: Employment 18

Education: Finance 19

Higher Education: Admissions 19

Hugh Ind 21

Nurses: Apprentices 21

Schools: Admissions 22

Schools: Mobile Phones 22

Stem Cells: Donors 23

Students: Housing 23

Students: Married People 23

Teachers: Training 24

Wakefield City Academies

Trust 24

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND

RURAL AFFAIRS 25

Agriculture 25

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers 25

Agriculture: Subsidies 26

Animal Welfare 26

Cereals: Exports 26

Countryside Stewardship

Scheme 27

Dogs 27

Dogs: Animal Welfare 28

Drinking Water: Bottles 29

Fisheries: Quotas 30

Flood Control: Expenditure 30

Forests: North of England 30

Furs: Import Controls 31

Game: Animal Welfare 31

Seas and Oceans:

Environment Protection 32

Soil 32

FOREIGN AND

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 33

Bangladesh: Rohingya 33

Cameroon: Human Rights 33

Foreign and Commonwealth

Office: Brexit 34

Gulf States: Arms Trade 34

Marriage: Children 35

Noura Hussein 35

Peacekeeping Operations 35

Rendition 36

Sudan: Capital Punishment 37

Yemen: Ports 37

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 37

Breast Cancer 37

Breast Cancer: Screening 38

Cancer: Drugs 39

Cancer: Mental Health

Services 39

Chronic Illnesses: Presciptions 40

Doctors: Migrant Workers 40

Donors: Young People 40

Endoscopy 41

Epilepsy: Medical Equipment 41

General Practitioners: Stoke

on Trent 41

General Practitioners: York 42

General Practitioners:

Yorkshire and the Humber 43

Genetics: Screening 44

Haematological Cancer: Ethnic

Groups 44

Haematological Cancer:

Mental Health Services 44

Hospitals: Death 46

Influenza 48

Learning Disability 49

Liver Cancer 49

NHS Trusts: Contracts 50

NHS: Staff 50

NHS: West Midlands 52

Obesity 52

Patients: Proof of Identity 52

Pharmacy: Health Services 53

Pharmacy: Scotland 54

Stem Cells: Donors 54

HOME OFFICE 55

Animal Experiments: Dogs 55

Crime 57

Crimes of Violence:

Nottinghamshire 57

Demonstrations: Palestinians 57

HM Passport Office: Staff 58

Immigrants: Domestic

Violence 58

Immigration 58

Nottinghamshire Police 59

Nottinghamshire Police:

Finance 60

Police 60

Police: West Midlands 60

Security Guards: Licensing 61

UK Visas and Immigration:

Staff 61

HOUSE OF COMMONS

COMMISSION 62

House of Commons: Pay 62

Parliamentary Estate:

Charitable Donations 62

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND

LOCAL GOVERNMENT 62

Building Regulations 62

Buildings: Fire Prevention 63

Domestic Violence: Victims 63

Energy Performance

Certificates: Public Buildings 64

EU Grants and Loans 64

High Rise Flats: Fire

Prevention 66

Housing: Construction 66

Local Plans 67

Planning Permission 67

Planning Permission: Wildlife 67

Private Rented Housing:

Licensing 68

Social Rented Housing: Fire

Prevention 68

INTERNATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT 68

Developing Countries:

Abortion 68

Developing Countries: Food 69

Developing Countries: Slavery 69

North Korea: Humanitarian Aid 70

Rwanda: Overseas Aid 70

Yemen: Ports 71

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 71

Department for International

Trade: Non-departmental

Public Bodies 71

Israel: Arms Trade 71

Trade Agreements 72

Trade Agreements: Africa 73

UK Trade With EU 73

JUSTICE 74

Knives: Crime 74

Modern Slavery Act 2015:

Prosecutions 74

Oakhill Secure Training Centre 74

Prisons: Construction 75

Prisons: Smoking 76

Reoffenders: Alternatives to

Prison 77

Social Security Benefits:

Appeals 77

Tribunals 77

NORTHERN IRELAND 77

Northern Ireland Government 77

SCOTLAND 78

Broadband: Scotland 78

Industry: Scotland 78

TRANSPORT 78

A75: Dumfries and Galloway 78

Air Routes 79

Air Traffic 79

Airports: National Policy

Statements 80

Aviation 80

Aviation: Facilities 82

Aviation: Local Government

Finance 83

Aviation: Training 83

Bus Services: Standards 84

Department for Transport:

Brexit 84

Govia Thameslink Railway 85

Govia Thameslink Railway:

Timetables 85

London-Brighton Railway Line:

Repairs and Maintenance 85

Members: Correspondence 86

Northern 86

Office of Rail and Road: Public

Appointments 87

Railways: Overcrowding 87

Railways: Standards 87

Railways: Timetables 87

Southern: Portsmouth Harbour 88

Thameslink Railway Line:

Standards 88

Transport Focus: Scotland 89

Transport: Ombudsman 89

TREASURY 89

Arts: National Insurance

Contributions 89

Cash Dispensing: Older

People 90

Cryptocurrencies 90

Customs Declaration Services

Programme 91

Customs Unions 92

Excise Duties: Fuels 92

Funerals 93

Life Insurance 93

Public Expenditure: Scotland 94

Public Sector: Pensions 94

Royal Bank of Scotland 94

Students: Private Rented

Housing 95

Welfare Tax Credits:

Overpayments 96

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES 96

Access to Elected Office for

Disabled People Fund 96

Females: Voting Rights 96

WORK AND PENSIONS 98

Crummock: Insolvency 98

Employment: Young People 99

Occupational Pensions:

Central Suffolk and North

Ipswich 99

Social Security Benefits:

Medical Examinations 100

State Retirement Pensions:

Terminal Illnesses 100

Universal Credit 101

MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS 103

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND

SPORT 103

Arts and Culture: Finance 103

WRITTEN STATEMENTS 104

DEFENCE 104

Contingent Liabilities 104

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND

RURAL AFFAIRS 104

Multi-Agency Flood Plan

Review Report 104

JUSTICE 105

Justice & Home Affairs post-

Council statement 105

Notes:

Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared.

Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled as an

oral question and has since been unstarred.

ANSWERS

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Coal: Consumption

Philip Davies: [149640]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what research

his Department has undertaken on the factors responsible for the recent increase in coal

consumption globally; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry:

The Department draws on a variety of data sources, such as the International Energy

Agency, to analyse global energy trends. According to the International Energy

Agency, global coal demand rose by around 1% in 2017, but this followed declines in

the previous two years. The increase in 2017 is also well below the average annual

growth rate of the preceding decade which was 3.3% and global coal demand is still

well below its 2014 peak. Coal demand from the power sector drove the increase;

lower demand from industry went some way to offset that. Developing economies in

emerging Asia saw the largest increases, while demand fell in Europe and the United

States.

Coal: Exports


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what

discussions he has had with his counterparts in other governments on the UK supplying

coal for their domestic power, steel and cement markets after the UK leaves the EU; and

if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry:

The sourcing of fuel for industrial purposes is a commercial matter for the businesses

concerned.

I have regular discussions with Ministers in other governments on a range of topics,

including the production and use of coal, promoting the UK’s Industrial Strategy and

maximising opportunities for UK firms after Brexit.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Consultants

Rebecca Long Bailey: [151202]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference

to page 35 of the Industrial Strategy, how many (a) Business Champions and (b) external

advisers have been appointed.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-06-04/149640



Andrew Griffiths:

My rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s recent speech on science and innovation set

out an ambitious approach to tackle the Grand Challenges and put the UK at the

forefront of the industries of the future.

There has been extensive engagement on the Grand Challenges which has resulted

in business and academic advocates shaping the work and contributing their support

as seen as recent events with the national academies and the Resolution

Foundation.

We will continue to work with the best from across academia and the private sector

as we develop our approach to the Grand Challenges and will be appointing

Business Champions shortly.

Energy: Meters

Steve McCabe: [151036]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what

assessment he has made of the effect of the opt-in policy for smart meters on the number

of smart meter installations; and if he will review his smart meter roll-out policy.

Claire Perry:

Smart meters are not compulsory for consumers. The rollout of smart meters is

making good progress, with over 400,000 meters being installed every month and 11

million meters operating at the end of March 2018, helping consumers to save money

and better understand their energy use.

Free Movement of Labour

Matthew Pennycook: [151233]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it is

the Government’s policy to transpose the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive

(96/71/EC) into domestic legislation before the end of the transition period on 31

December 2020.

Andrew Griffiths:

We expect the revision to the Posting of Workers Directive to be voted on for

adoption (approval by both Council and the European Parliament) shortly, after which

it will become EU law. If adopted, we intend to implement it, including through

transposition into domestic legislation as necessary, before the end of the transition

period. Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full Member of the

European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force.

During this period the Government will also continue to negotiate, implement and

apply EU legislation.



Hinkley Point C Power Station

Caroline Lucas: [150636]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to

the Answer of 27 April 2018 to Question 136686, for what reason the loan guarantees

offered to EDF to fund the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station are

not classified as (a) risks to and (b) liabilities on the public purse; and if he will confirm the

value of the Government-backed loan guarantees offered to EDF.

Richard Harrington:

On the 25th October 2016, my rt. hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury

made a statement to Parliament approving the provision of a guarantee for up to £2

billion debt guarantee for HPC through the UK Guarantees Scheme. This £2bn

guarantee has since been cancelled by EDF. The cancellation will be noted as a

change to contingent liabilities in HMT's year-end report, and will also be noted in the

annual report to Parliament on the UK Guarantee Scheme.

Independent Industrial Strategy Council



the Answer of 5 December 2017 to question HL3767 on Independent Industrial Strategy

Council, what progress has been made on appointing the Industrial Strategy Council.

Richard Harrington:

We are finalising the terms of reference and membership of the council, and further

details will be set out in more detail shortly.

Industry


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many

proposals for sector deals he has received; what progress has been made on assessing

those proposals; and to how many of those proposals he has formally responded.

Richard Harrington:

Sector Deals have proven to be a popular concept since suggested in the Industrial

Strategy Green Paper in January 2017.

Four deals (with the Life Sciences, Automotive, Creative Industries and Artificial

Intelligence sectors) have already been published and deals with Construction and

Nuclear are expected in the coming weeks.

A number of other sectors have expressed interest in a Sector Deal and, as set out in

the White Paper, we expect to progress with further Deals that best meet the

expectations set out in the White Paper, in due course.





To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress

has been made on agreeing local industrial strategies; and what resources he has

allocated to (a) civil servants and (b) local areas to develop those strategies.

Andrew Griffiths:

I am encouraged by the enthusiasm shown across the country for developing Local

Industrial Strategies. Policy officials are working intensively with Local Enterprise

Partnerships and Mayoral Combined Authorities to develop innovative proposals

which address the challenges laid out in our national Industrial Strategy. We are

making good progress with trailblazers Greater Manchester, West Midlands and

partners across the Cambridge – Milton Keynes – Oxford corridor

Manufacturing Industries: Employment


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many

people were employed in the (a) cement production, (b) steel production and (c) sugar

production industries in the UK for each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington:

Manufacturing supports 2.7 million jobs (with estimates of 5 million across the whole

manufacturing value chain) and contributed £188 billion to the UK economy in 2017.

Employment statistics on smaller specific manufacturing sectors such as steel and

sugar are available but tend to suffer from data availability issues due to the small

number of firms involved. Those for cement are not available due to the same issues.

We found figures for steel and sugar production:

GB STEEL SECTOR EMPLOYMENT

2010 30,600

2011 32,000

2012 30,900

2013 30,700

2014 34,500

2015 31,400

2016 32,200



SUGAR SECTOR EMPLOYMENT

2010 2,000

2011 2,000

2012 *

2013 2,000

2014 *

2015 *

2016 *

(Source: ONS Business Register and Employment Survey)

Ports

Karl Turner: [150062]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he

has to commission a feasibility study on an ultra-deep-water berth at a UK port.

Claire Perry:

As I said at the Westminster Hall Debate on the UK oil and gas industry on 19 April,

we will commission a UK-wide scoping study on an ultra-deep water port to support

the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas assets. We will work closely with the

Scottish Government which had already commissioned a UK-wide study to support

its own commitment through its own Programme for Government. I have since

discussed this issue in a meeting with Paul Wheelhouse MSP, and BEIS officials

remain in contact with counterparts from the Scottish Government on their study. We

expect to tender for a UK Government study in the near future and will ensure that we

do not duplicate the work undertaken by the consultants working on behalf of the

Scottish Government.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Catherine McKinnell: [151159]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the

policy framework will be for small and medium sized renewables after the scheduled

closure of the Feed-In Tariff next year.

Claire Perry:

We are considering options for low-carbon generation, currently eligible for the Feed-

In Tariff, beyond 2019, and a consultation on the Feed-in Tariff scheme will be

published in due course.



Research: Finance



answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 117393 on Research: Investment, when he

plans to publish a roadmap for meeting his target of increasing investment in R&D to 2.4

per cent of GDP by 2027.

Mr Sam Gyimah:

Since the publication of the Industrial Strategy, we have been speaking to

businesses, academics and other stakeholders to develop the roadmap. Through this

engagement we are exploring the barriers to increased R&D investment by business,

the greatest opportunities for R&D growth over the next decade, and the key policies

Government should prioritise to reach the 2.4% goal and deliver economic and

societal impact.

Transport : Carbon Emissions

Andy McDonald: [151177]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he

plans to activate section 30 of the Climate Change Act 2008 to include emissions from (a)

international aviation and (b) shipping in the UK carbon budget.

Claire Perry:

While the UK’s 2050 target and carbon budgets currently exclude emissions from

international aviation and international shipping, the Committee on Climate Change

has advised on planning for these emissions and their assumptions are incorporated

into the Government’s 2050 pathways as set out in the Clean Growth Strategy. The

Government is continuing to work to decarbonise the aviation and shipping sectors,

both through international action, such as standards and offsetting schemes, and

domestically, for example through support for sustainable alternative fuels, improved

efficiency and new technologies.

Transport: Carbon Budgets


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate

he has made of the proportion of the UK carbon budget that came from emissions from

the transport sector in (a) 2015, (b) 2020 and (c) 2025.

Claire Perry:

Greenhouse gas emissions for 2015, broken down by sector, are publicly available at

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-

national-statistics-1990-2016.

Similarly, projections of greenhouse gas emissions, by sector, are available at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-energy-and-emissions-

projections-2017, including for the years 2020 and 2025.




https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-national-statistics-1990-2016



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-energy-and-emissions-projections-2017



CABINET OFFICE

Cabinet Office: Written Questions

Angela Rayner: [144923]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer Question 136059

asked by the hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne on 16 April 2018, on Cabinet Office:

Apprentices.

Oliver Dowden:

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to PQ136059 on 6 June 2018.

Liver Cancer: Mortality Rates

Jo Platt: [151254]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the survival rate is for liver metastasis.

Chloe Smith:

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.

I have asked the Authority to reply.

Attachments:

1. UKSA Response [PQ151254 Holding Response.pdf]

Polling Stations

Jim McMahon: [144375]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many polling stations were operational in

elections for each relevant year since 2010.

Chloe Smith:

This information is not held centrally by the Government. Local authority Returning

Officers hold information on the polling stations used at each election which is passed

to the Electoral Commission. The Commission then collates and publishes it in its

electoral data report which can found on its website at

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/our-research/electoral-

data/electoral-data-files-and-reports

Prison Officers: Retirement

Laura Smith: [150231]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to review the

pension age for prison officers.

Oliver Dowden:

Prison Officers are members of the Civil Service pension scheme, which is the

responsibility of the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office has no current plans to review

the pension age for prison officers.





Public Sector: Procurement

Andrew Percy: [135223]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is assessing

measures to increase the efficiency of public sector procurement; and if he will make a

statement.

Oliver Dowden:

Carillion’s insolvency has made it clear that government should think about whether

there is a need to make changes which will safeguard against an event of this scale

happening again. To that end, we are currently undertaking an internal lessons

learned exercise and will be considering a range of inputs before deciding what

changes, if any, need to be made to public outsourcing policies and procedures.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Catering

Jamie Stone: [151243]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential

effect on the number of chefs in the armed forces of the UK leaving the EU.

Mark Lancaster:

The Ministry of Defence recognises that, given the number of non-UK employees in

the catering and hospitality industry, any BREXIT impact in this sector could

potentially affect the recruitment and retention of chefs in the Armed Forces.

Armed Forces: Recruitment


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral evidence of the

Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence to the Public Accounts Committee on 4

June 2018, Q41 and Q135, for what reason his Department has not made any

assessment of (a) the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the STEM ecosystem

and (b) the potential consequential effect of changes in that ecosystem on recruitment to

the armed forces; and what assessment his Department will now make of those issues.

Mark Lancaster:

Following the EU Exit referendum, as part of the formulation of Ministry of Defence

strategy, an assessment was undertaken of the potential impact of BREXIT on Armed

Forces recruitment and retention. It concluded that BREXIT was unlikely to impact

directly on Armed Forces recruitment, given our nationality requirements, but there

could be a secondary impact should BREXIT increase demand for scarce skills in the

UK. This could, indirectly, impact on Armed Forces recruitment and retention. The

Ministry of Defence is preparing its comments on the Public Accounts Committee

transcript of 4 June and will provide an appropriate clarification to the Committee.




Army Foundation College

Liz Saville Roberts: [150193]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of

students at AFC Harrogate from each postcode district.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

Postcode district information, based on primary contact addresses, for recruits

currently at AFC Harrogate is set out in the attached table. To limit disclosure and

ensure confidentiality numbers of fewer than five are represented by '~'. Figures have

also been rounded to the nearest 5.

There are 21 Northern Ireland postcode districts currently represented at AFC

Harrogate, in compliance with security requirements these have been grouped into

one postcode area.

Attachments:

1. Postcode District of AFC Harrogate Students

[150193_Postcode_District_of_AFC_Harrogate_Students.docx]

Ministry of Defence: Official Cars


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 May 2018 to

Question 141014 on Official Cars, how many civil servants have been provided with a

chauffeured car to carry out their duties; and what the pay grade is of each of those civil

servants.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

No Ministry of Defence civilians have been provided with a chauffeured car to enable

them to carry out their duties.

Tornado Aircraft

Martin Docherty-Hughes: [150697]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18th May 2018 to

Question 142876 on Tornado Aircraft, if he will provided a copy of AL 1 of the relevant

page, along with the actual dates of the AL 1 and AL 2 introduction.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

The minimum ejection height graphs provided in answer to question 142876 on

Tornado aircraft have remained unchanged since January 2005. The change in the

amendment status of the pages is purely as a result of editorial action on other pages

or the re-issue of the section. There is, therefore, no difference between the AL1 and

AL2 version of the page.

AL1 was introduced in May 2006 and AL2 in May 2008.




Tornado Aircraft: Accidents

Martin Docherty-Hughes: [150698]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place a copy of Part 2.9 (Schedule of

Non Germane Information) of the Service Inquiry report into the Tornado collision over

the Moray Firth in July 2012 in the Library.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

I can confirm that the Ministry of Defence holds a copy of Part 2.9 (Schedule of Non

Germane Information), which is currently being retrieved from our archives and will

be placed in the Library of the House in due course.

Warships: Sunderland


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to secure an affiliation

between a Royal Navy vessel and the city of Sunderland following the decommissioning

of HMS Ocean in March 2018.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

The Royal Navy will inform Sunderland Council in due course regarding a future

affiliation with the city.

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Cybercrime

Dr Matthew Offord: [150055]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance his

Department has published for organisations in the private sector to reduce their

vulnerability to cyber-attacks.

Margot James:

As the UK authority on cyber security, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is

committed to providing expert, trusted, and independent guidance for members of the

public and public and private sector organisations, including but not limited to UK

industry, government departments, the critical national infrastructure and private

SMEs. This guidance is freely available on NCSC’s website and is underpinned by

our unique insights into cyber threats and is regularly updated. Following it will enable

institutions and companies to put measures in place to help protect themselves from

cyber attacks, and help to protect the UK’s economic prosperity and reputation.

Local Press

Bill Wiggin: [149949]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, by what mechanism

Local Democracy Reporter Service journalists are held accountable to BBC standards of

impartiality.





Margot James:

The organisations which employ Local Democracy Reporter Service reporters are

contractually obliged to produce and supply content and services to the BBC. In

doing so they must adhere to a number of criteria including adherence to the Editors’

Code and the BBC Guidelines, which include impartiality.

Bill Wiggin: [149950]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether stories

written by Local Democracy Reporter Service reporters are available to access free of

charge for BBC licence fee payers.

Margot James:

Licence fee payers can access content from Local Democracy Reporter Service

reporters, free of charge, via BBC News outlets, as well as through the newspapers,

websites, radio stations and TV channels which make up the 800 other outlets in the

Local News Partnerships.

Nutrition: Children

Justin Tomlinson: [150092]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his

Department has made of the number of children viewing advertisements featuring

products high in fat, salt or sugar on television; and whether that estimated figure has

changed since 2013.


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his

Department has made of the quantum of difference in the number of children viewing

advertisements for products high in fat, salt or sugar on (a) broadcast and (b) online

media.


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his

Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of restrictions on

advertisements for products high in fat, salt or sugar on smaller UK media channels.


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his

Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of restrictions on

advertisements for products high in fat, salt or sugar on public service broadcasters.

Margot James:

There is a clear need to address childhood obesity on health and social justice

grounds and this government is committed to tackling the issue and supporting

people in making healthy choices.

As part of this ongoing process, in August 2017 we announced a £5 million

investment in a policy research unit on childhood obesity to provide a robust






evidence, evaluation and research capability including looking at the impact of

marketing on childhood obesity. The unit is undertaking a large programme of work

and we will consider the results in due course.

In 2016 we published a world-leading plan to tackle childhood obesity based on the

best evidence. We have made significant progress and now want to build on those

strong foundations. We will be publishing a second chapter of the Childhood Obesity

Plan in due course.

A review of advertising restrictions for products and brands high in fat, salt or sugar,

was published by Ofcom in 2010 and included a detailed assessment of effects on

commercial public service broadcasters and commercial channels.

The UK currently places strong restrictions on high fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) products.

Strict new rules came into effect in July 2017 banning the advertising of HFSS food or

drink products in children’s media. These restrictions apply across all non-broadcast

media including in print, cinema, online and in social media and are designed to

compliment similar measures already in place for broadcast media.

Sportsgrounds: Safety

Alex Norris: [150762]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what representations

(a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have received from (i) football clubs and (ii)

local safety authorities on safe standing.

Tracey Crouch:

Representations have been received from the following football clubs about the

possible introduction of certain types of accommodation which could facilitate

standing at parts of their respective grounds: Bristol City, Peterborough United,

Grimsby Town, Shrewsbury Town and West Bromwich Albion. Representations about

the all-seater policy have also been received from Southampton City Council. The

Sports Grounds Safety Authority is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing

and advising on safety at sports grounds. The SGSA discusses a wide range of

issues with local safety authorities in the course of normal business.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Cat Smith: [151215]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much his

Department spent on youth social action in the 2017-2018 financial year.

Tracey Crouch:

We are committed to providing high quality social action opportunities for young

people to build their skills and networks outside of school regardless of their

background or circumstances. The Office for Civil Society (OCS), now based in



DCMS, has spent £185.75 million on youth social action programmes in 2017/18

financial year, broken down as follows - £180.5 million on National Citizen Service

(which includes social action as a key element of the programme), £5 million on the

#iwill Fund and £250,000 on the British Youth Council’s Youth Voice programme.

EDUCATION

Academies: Expenditure


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which trusts have been allocated funding

through the multi-academy trust Development and Improvement fund, and how much

funding each trust was given.

Nadhim Zahawi:

In line with the department’s normal practice, details of the recipients of the Multi-

Academy Trust Development and Improvement Fund will be published on GOV.UK

later this year.

Apprentices: Employment


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of apprenticeship starts

involved people (a) already employed by their employer and (b) recruited by their

employer in order to undertake an apprenticeship in the last 12 months; and if he will

make a statement.

Anne Milton:

The department does not hold this information for the last 12 months.

We conducted the 2017 apprenticeship evaluation learner survey, which found 56 per

cent of all level 2 and 3 apprentices were recruited specifically with the intention of

completing an apprenticeship. Just over two-fifths of level 2 and 3 apprenticeships

(42 per cent) were undertaken by those in existing roles already working for their

employer: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships-evaluation-

2017-learners-survey.

The 2017 apprenticeship evaluation employers’ survey found that 60 per cent of

employers provided their apprenticeships to people who were recruited specifically to

start an apprenticeship, with the training starting straight away. A smaller group of

employers (10 per cent) had provided apprenticeships to people who were recruited

with the intention that they would start an apprenticeship, but the training did not start

immediately. 32 per cent provided apprenticeships to existing employees that were

already working for them; this excludes any recruited with the intention of starting an

apprenticeship: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships-

evaluation-2017-employers-survey.



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships-evaluation-2017-learners-survey



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships-evaluation-2017-employers-survey



Education: Finance

Mr David Lammy: [149578]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the

widening participation funding is deployed effectively.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the

proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds attending university.

Mr Sam Gyimah:

Widening participation in higher education remains a priority for this government. We

want everyone with the potential to have the opportunity to benefit from a university

education, regardless of background or where they grew up.

University application rates for 18 year olds to full-time study remain at record levels.

The proportion of disadvantaged 18 year olds entering full time higher education has

increased from 13.6 per cent in 2009 to 20.4 per cent in 2017. Building on this our

major review of post-18 education and funding will consider how disadvantaged

students receive maintenance support both from government and from universities

and colleges and how we can ensure they have equal opportunities to progress and

succeed in all forms of post-18 education.

We have set up the Office for Students (OfS) with powers to drive forward

improvements in access and participation and we have asked the OfS to do more to

maximise the impact of spending in this area. In their business plan the OfS plans to

evaluate the return on investment on access and participation. We have also asked

the OfS to set up an Evidence and Impact Exchange to improve the impact and value

for money of providers’ access and participation expenditure.

In addition, through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, we have

introduced the Transparency Duty requiring registered higher education providers to

publish data on application, offer, acceptance, dropout and attainment rates of

students by ethnicity, gender and socio-economic background. This will hold the

sector to account for their record on access and retention of students from lower

socio-economic backgrounds and shine a light on where they need to go further.

Higher Education: Admissions


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of (a) the

proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and (b) the number of BAME

students entering higher education in each of the last three years.

Mr Sam Gyimah:

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publish data on the

proportion of 18 year olds entering full-time undergraduate higher education by




disadvantage and ethnic group here: https://www.ucas.com/corporate/data-and-

analysis/ucas-undergraduate-releases/ucas-undergraduate-analysis-reports/ucas-

undergraduate-end-cycle-reports.

The requested information is summarised in the tables below.

Table 1 – Entry rates for English 18 year olds by POLAR quintile, a measure of

educational disadvantage.

POLAR QUINTILE 2015 2016 2017

Q1 - Most

Disadvantaged

18.5% 19.5% 20.4%

Q2 25.1% 26.2% 26.9%

Q3 30.5% 31.5% 32.5%

Q4 36.2% 37.2% 37.6%

Q5 - Least

Disadvantaged

44.9% 46.3% 47.1%

Table 2 - Entry rates for English 18 year old state school pupils by ethnic group

ETHNIC GROUP 2015 2016 2017

Asian 42.3% 44.1% 45.8%

Black 38.4% 39.1% 40.4%

Chinese 61.0% 60.8% 63.0%

Mixed 32.3% 33.4% 34.0%

White 27.9% 28.9% 29.3%

Any other ethnic group 36.8% 38.0% 40.1%

The data shows disadvantaged 18 year olds and those from a BME background are

more likely to enter full-time undergraduate courses than ever before.

Entry rates have been provided as they take account of demographic changes,

enabling direct comparison over time and between different ethnic groups. However,

data is also available on the number of students (of all ages) entering higher

education by ethnic group and UK country of domicile who applied by the UCAS June

application deadline here:

https://www.ucas.com/file/139481/download?token=X4hqD5Ms.

https://www.ucas.com/file/139481/download?token=X4hqD5Ms

https://www.ucas.com/file/139481/download?token=X4hqD5Ms

Hugh Ind

Gordon Marsden: [149932]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the (a)

Secretary of State for the Home Department and (b) Minister for the Cabinet Office on the

appointment of Mr Hugh Ind to lead the public sector apprenticeship strategy.

Anne Milton:

[Holding answer 11 June 2018]: I look forward to meeting Hugh Ind in the near

future, following his Civil Service appointment in the Cabinet Office. His appointment

will support our ambition to increase the number of apprentices the public sector

employs and help it access the skills needed to deliver high quality public services.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had any

discussions about this appointment.

Nurses: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: [150032]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people have undertaken a nursing

apprenticeship at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-

18.



apprenticeship in Essex in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18.



apprenticeship in Hertfordshire in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18.



apprenticeship in the East of England in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18.

Anne Milton:

[Holding answer 11 June 2018]: The department has published a

framework/standard tool which shows there have been 40,650 apprenticeship starts

for the Health, Public Services and Care subject area in the 2017/18 academic year,

reported to date in England: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-

data-library-apprenticeships.

We are wanting to increase the number of nursing apprenticeships and now have a

complete apprentice pathway from entry level to postgraduate advanced clinical

practice in nursing. This is a huge achievement in supporting people from all

backgrounds to enter a nursing career in the National Health Service.

Registered Nurse (degree) apprenticeship standard was approved for delivery on 9

May 2017. There were 20 total starts on the Registered Nurse (degree)






apprenticeship in the 2017/18 academic year, of which 10 were started in the East of

England. There were no other starts reported for this standard in the 2016/17

academic year, or within the Essex or Hertfordshire local authorities.

We have also created a new programme for nursing associate apprentices to

broaden the routes into the profession. 5,000 starts are planned in 2018, with a

further 7,500 in 2019.

We are working closely with employers and Health Education England to make sure

the National Health Service are fully supported to recruit apprentices, both in nursing

and a range of other occupations.

We publish starts for training providers when data is finalised for the full academic

year. There were no starts for the Princess Alexandra hospital as a training provider

for 2016/17.

Provider data for 2016/17 is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-

data-sets/fe-data-library-local-authority-tables. Data for 2017/18 will be published in

November 2018.

We do not hold the information that we treat as the verified identity of an individual’s

employer, so it is not possible to state how many apprentices were employed by the

Princess Alexandra hospital.

Schools: Admissions

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [151187]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 May 2018 to

Question 145341, on schools: admissions, to which educational establishments the 28

requests and the 4 formal interventions relate.

Nick Gibb:

Due to the sensitive nature and low volume of these cases, it would not be

appropriate to name the individual academies due to the risk that already vulnerable

children could be identified from the information.

Schools: Mobile Phones

Neil O'Brien: [149714]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department provides to

schools on the use and possession by pupils of smartphones and tablets (a) in schools

and (b) during classes.

Nick Gibb:

Schools can choose to ban or limit the use of smart phone or tablets on school

premises during the school day. Schools should make any policies on smart phones

or tablets known to all staff, pupils and parents. These policies should outline any

sanctions that will be imposed if pupils break these rules.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-local-authority-tables





The Bennett Review of behaviour in schools includes a chapter about the use of

technology in schools and case studies of policies in place. The report, which was

published last year, can be viewed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-in-schools.

Stem Cells: Donors

Tulip Siddiq: [149684]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an

assessment of the potential merits of including information on stem cell donation in the

national curriculum.

Nick Gibb:

Pupils are taught about stem cells in the new key stage 4 science curriculum, GCSE

combined science and GCSE biology. The national curriculum is compulsory in

maintained schools and it can be used as a benchmark by academies and free

schools. It focuses on the essential knowledge in each subject, which allows teachers

to take greater control over the wider curriculum in schools. Science content in the

curriculum includes the function of stem cells and the potential benefits and risks

associated with the use of stem cells in medicine. Teachers are free to use this as an

opportunity to inform pupils about stem cell donation.

The key stage 4 science curriculum and science GCSEs were reformed with input

from subject experts and taught from September 2016. My right hon. Friend, the

Secretary of State for Education, announced in April 2018 that the Government will

not change the national curriculum or current GCSE content for the rest of this

parliament. This decision was taken to promote stability for schools and teachers.

Students: Housing

Andrew Gwynne: [149629]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department provides guidance

to further education institutions on the sale of land for student accommodation to private

developers.

Anne Milton:

Further Education Colleges were incorporated as independent institutions in 1993,

taking ownership of their land, buildings and reserves from local authorities. As

independent institutions, they are responsible for managing their own estates in

accordance with the Further Education Colleges Financial Memorandum. The

Education and Skills Funding Agency does not have any role in decisions made to

sell assets other than managing previous capital grant investment, where applicable.

Students: Married People

Mr Virendra Sharma: [149647]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of

the number of (a) women and (b) men who have progressed into higher and further

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-in-schools

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-in-schools




education who were married before the age of 18 years for each year for which such

information is available.

Mr Sam Gyimah:

The information is not held centrally.

Teachers: Training

Dame Cheryl Gillan: [151018]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department plans to include in the

autism module that will be included in initial teacher training; and when delivery of that

module will be commenced.

Nick Gibb:

Teachers are required to have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils,

including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including

autism, as part of the Teachers' Standards. In July 2016, the Department published a

new framework for initial teacher training (ITT) content, which involves specific

content on SEND, including autism. As part of ITT provider inspections, Ofsted has

due regard to the Teachers’ Standards and framework of core content. 99% of all ITT

partnerships inspected by Ofsted were judged to be either good or outstanding at

their most recent inspection.

The Government does not prescribe the content of ITT courses. It is for ITT providers

to use their judgement to determine the content and structure of courses. They must

be designed so that teacher trainees can demonstrate that they meet all of the

Teachers' Standards at the appropriate level.

The Department has funded the Autism Education Trust (AET) since 2011 to deliver

autism training to existing early years, schools and post-16 education staff in

England. The AET has now trained more than 175,000 education staff to encourage

a whole school approach to supporting children and young people with autism. In

March 2018, the Department extended this contract by a further two years.

Wakefield City Academies Trust


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2019 to

Question 135939, on Wakefield City Academies Trust, how many of the schools formerly

within the Wakefield City Academies Trust have now been placed with new trusts.

Nadhim Zahawi:

We have confirmed new trusts for 20 of the 21 Wakefield City Academy Trust

(WCAT) schools. Fifteen of these schools have transferred to their new trusts. We

are working with all involved to transfer the remaining six academies as soon as

possible. Many of the new trusts have an agreement with WCAT to provide school

improvement support for schools that are yet transfer. This support is enabling pupils

to benefit from an outstanding trust immediately, ahead of the transfer.



ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

Chris Ruane: [151095]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent

discussions he has had with representatives of (a) the Welsh Government and (b) other

devolved administrations on the farming industry after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice:

Ministers and officials are in regular contact with ministers and officials from all of the

Devolved Administrations. The Secretary of State last met Ministers from the Scottish

and Welsh governments and senior officials from Northern Ireland on 14 May 2018.

I have also met stakeholder representatives from the Devolved Administrations on 21

March, at one of a series of roundtable meetings held during our agriculture

consultation, “Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment

in a Green Brexit” which ended on 8 May.

Agriculture is a devolved responsibility, and it is the government’s intention that each

administration has the freedom to design policies that support the individual

characteristics of their agricultural sector and their environment. The government has

committed to work closely with the Devolved Administrations to deliver an approach

that works for the whole of the UK and reflects the needs and individual

circumstances of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Tim Farron: [151125]


discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on encouraging seasonal EU workers to

continue travelling to the UK to work on farms.

George Eustice:

We are working closely with the Home Office as they seek to develop a new

immigration framework that recognises the needs of the UK as a whole, to ensure

that the UK has a controlled but flexible migration policy and considers access to

seasonal agricultural labour.

Until we have left the EU, employers in the agricultural and food processing sectors

can continue to recruit EU workers to meet their labour needs.

The Government has also commissioned the independent Migration Advisory

Committee (MAC) to assess the role that EU citizens play in the UK economy and

society, and how to align future immigration framework with modern industrial

strategy. We welcome the MAC’s interim report published in March 2018 and will

consider its evidence in full when it publishes its final report in September 2018.



Agriculture: Subsidies

Kerry McCarthy: [151106]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment

the Government has made of (a) the total agricultural payment budget that will be made

available after 2022 and (b) the proportion of the farm payment budget allocated to (i)

public goods payments and (ii) other policy objectives after 2022; and if he will make a

statement.

George Eustice:

The UK Government made a manifesto commitment that the amount we allocate to

farming support, in cash terms, will be protected until the end of this Parliament and

that a new, funded scheme would be rolled out thereafter. We have also committed to

an agricultural transition period to phase in any changes. No final decisions have yet

been taken on funding allocations between different objectives after 2022.

Animal Welfare

Jo Platt: [151257]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the

Answer of 7 June 2018 to Question 149081, if he will meet representatives of animal

rescue charities to discuss the potential merits of introducing measures to license and

regulate animal rescue centres.

George Eustice:

Under The Animal Welfare (Licensed Activities Involving Animals) (England)

Regulations 2018 anyone who is in the business of selling pet animals will need to be

licensed. Depending on the circumstances that can include animal rescue charities

where animals are re-homed and a set fee is charged. We regularly discuss these

matters with the bodies represented on the Canine and Feline Sector Group,

including animal welfare charities.

Cereals: Exports

James Cartlidge: [149692]


discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade on the potential

export market for UK grain after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice:

I am in regular discussions with the Trade Secretary and other Cabinet colleagues

about the importance of maximising our UK trade opportunities globally across all

farming, food and drink sectors.

Our vision is for a productive, competitive UK agriculture sector, supplying products

of the highest standard to the domestic market and increasing exports abroad.




Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Dr David Drew: [150558]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what is the (a)

minimum and (b) maximum time permitted to complete the application process for (i)

entry level stewardship and (ii) higher level stewardship for each region of England.

George Eustice:

The Environmental Stewardship scheme closed to new applicants in 2014.

There were no minimum or maximum time periods to complete the application

process for the Entry Level or Higher Level Schemes as agreements could start in

any month of the year.

For the current scheme, Countryside Stewardship, EU law requires that all

agreements take effect at the same date on 1 January. We have issued agreements

in time to enable agreement holders to claim their first annual payment by the claim

deadline. For 2018 this deadline is 15 June.



he has made of the (a) cost to the public purse and (b) capacity to introduce a

replacement scheme for the Stewardship Programme after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice:

We will maintain the same cash total funding for the sector until the end of this

Parliament: this includes all EU and Exchequer funding provided for farm support

under both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 of the current Common Agricultural Policy. This

commitment applies to each part of the UK.

Beyond that, we are currently considering the options and costings for a replacement

scheme, taking account of the responses to the recent Health and Harmony

consultation and delivery risks.

Dogs

Gareth Johnson: [150645]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his

Department has issued guidance to owners to encourage responsible dog ownership.

George Eustice:

In April this year we updated the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs,

made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which provides owners and keepers with

information on how to meet the welfare needs of their dogs as required by the 2006

Act. The statutory code is available on GOV.UK.




Dogs: Animal Welfare


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fines

for illegal tail docking have been issued in each year since the introduction of the ban in

2007.

George Eustice:

The number of fines issued for illegal tail docking between 2007 and 2017 can be

found in the table.

THE NUMBER OF OFFENDERS CONVICTED AND SENTENCED FOR

ILLEGAL TAIL DOCKING, 2007 TO 2017 (1)(2)

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Convicted 3 30 17 11 9 17 1 2 2 0 1

Sentenced 3 30 17 11 9 17 1 2 2 0 1

Absolute

Discharge

0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

Conditional

Discharge

2 7 6 2 5 3 0 1 0 0 0

Fines 1 18 9 5 3 5 1 1 1 0 0

Community

Sentence

0 2 1 2 1 7 0 0 0 0 1

Suspended

Sentence

0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

Immediate

Custody

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Compensation 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

Otherwise

Dealt With

0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


Source: Justice Statistics Analytical

Services - Ministry of Justice.

Ref: PQ

151128

(1) The figures given in the table relate to defendants for whom these offences were the

principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of

two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the

same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for

which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

(2) Includes males, females, persons where sex "Not Stated" and other

offenders, i.e. companies, public bodies, etc.


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are

being taken to enforce the law against people who advertise for sale online a dog with an

illegally docked tail.

George Eustice:

Anyone who sees a dog being advertised online with a suspected illegally docked tail

should report the matter to the relevant local authority who have powers to

investigate such matters under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The RSPCA can also

investigate such matters.

Drinking Water: Bottles



he has made of the (a) cost to the public purse and (b) capability of the Government to

administer the replacement of plastic water bottles with bio plastic.

David Rutley:

The Government has no plans to administer the replacement of plastic water bottles

with bio-based plastics.

We are currently developing a UK Bioeconomy Strategy that will bring together

biological industries, academia and innovators, linking up farmers and land managers

with high-tech industries.

This will cover a range of issues such as intellectual property practices; policy,

regulation and industry guidance on waste; the impact of bio-based procurement and

standards for bio-based plastics and other bio-materials.



Fisheries: Quotas

Jo Stevens: [151213]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of

the UK fishing quota has been auctioned to vessels owned by non-UK companies.

George Eustice:

The UK does not have a system of auctioning for fishing quotas. UK quota is only

allocated to vessels registered and licensed in the UK, but case law established the

rights of those in other EU Member States to invest in, or purchase, UK licensed

vessels, thereby entitling those with UK registered vessels to obtain UK quota shares.

The economic link conditions currently associated with UK fishing licences were

introduced in 1999 to make sure a genuine economic benefit is accrued to the UK

from economic activities derived from UK fishing opportunities. We are reviewing the

economic link condition as part of the development of our future fisheries

management arrangements.

Flood Control: Expenditure

Craig Tracey: [148969]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of

the £700 million allocated in Spring Budget 2016 to boost spending on flood defences

and resilience funded by the 0.5 per cent rise in Insurance Premium Tax has been (a)

allocated and (b) spent.

David Rutley:

Of the £700 million announced in the Spring Budget 2016 to boost spending on flood

defences and resilience, £446.6 million has been allocated to Defra and £150.5

million to the Department for Transport.

£406.6 million of this funding for Defra has been allocated for specific purposes to

improve defences or better manage flood risk. We anticipate that a decision will be

made by summer on the remaining £40 million.

£117.9 million of the funding allocated to Defra had been spent by March and £73.7

million of the funding allocated to Department for Transport has been committed to be

spent in 2018.

Forests: North of England

Layla Moran: [150764]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has

been made in establishing the Northern Forest; and what funding has been allocated

from the public purse to date.

David Rutley:

The Northern Forest will be delivered by a Government-backed partnership of the

Woodland Trust and the five Community Forests along the M62 corridor. This




partnership has already developed the vision for the Northern Forest, including the

ambition to plant 50 million trees over the next 25 years.

As part of the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Government has committed to providing

£5.7 million to kick-start the Northern Forest. We are working closely with the

Woodland Trust and Community Forest partners to agree how the funding will best

support and accelerate the project. We have already identified a number of further

sites, which we expect to be planted in the coming planting season.

Furs: Import Controls



the Government has made of the potential to use Article 36 of the Treaty on the

Functioning of the EU, which allows for trade restrictions on grounds of public morality

among other reasons, to ban the import of animal fur while the UK is still a member of the

Single Market.

George Eustice:

The Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) places restrictions on the

introduction of measures that impair the free movement of goods within the EU

market. Where there are EU harmonising measures relevant to the movement of fur,

including the Animal By-Products Regulation in respect of untreated fur and the Seal

Products Regulation, any derogation from those in the form of a national restriction

would need to meet the requirements of Article 114 of TFEU, or any specific

safeguard measure included in the harmonising legislation. This would involve

notifying the measures to the European Commission who would need to be satisfied

that the issue is “specific to that Member State”, that it would not amount to a means

of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade, or an obstacle to the

functioning of the internal market.

To introduce a ban in the absence of such consent where it is needed would breach

Article 114 of TFEU. Article 36 provides potential justifications for overriding the

prohibition on restrictions on imports and measures of equivalent effect between

Member States. These justifications cannot be used legally, however, where the

measure constitutes a means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on

trade between Member States or where the EU has legislated on the matter in

question.

Game: Animal Welfare

Theresa Villiers: [148663]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he last

discussed steps to maintain the welfare of gamebirds with the Animal and Plant Health

Agency.



David Rutley:

We have an ongoing dialogue with the Animal and Plant Health Agency on all animal

welfare matters, including those relating to gamebirds.

Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection



he has made of the potential merits of the recommendation passed by the International

Union for Conservation of Nature at is Congress in 2016 to increase the percentage of

marine areas highly protected to 30 per cent by 2030 under the Convention on Biological

Diversity.

David Rutley:

As set out in the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, we will use the UK’s

influence to build support for an ambitious post-2020 international biodiversity

strategy through the Convention on Biological Diversity.

This will include consideration of a wide range of scientific advice and information

including the IUCN’s recommendation. The UK already has an excellent record on

delivering Marine Protected Areas. We have protected over 23% of our mainland

waters, exceeding the current international target of 10% set by the Convention on

Biological Diversity and Sustainable Development Goal 14.


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to

page 119 of his Department's 25 Year Environment Plan, published on 11 January 2018,

what evidence he considered to inform the UK’s position on a post-2020 target for ocean

conservation under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

David Rutley:

Officials are currently working with partners domestically and internationally to create

a robust evidence base to inform the post-2020 biodiversity agenda and develop

ambitious, impactful and integrated targets for terrestrial, coastal and marine

environments.

Soil

Chi Onwurah: [150110]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is

taking to mitigate soil degradation caused by agricultural activities in the UK.

David Rutley:

We are taking a range of actions to mitigate soil degradation caused by agricultural

activities in England including through outcome-based cross-compliance soils rules

and funding to protect soil through existing Environmental Stewardship agri-

environment agreements and the Countryside Stewardship scheme. We introduced




Farming Rules for Water in April which contain measures to protect soil including the

appropriate application of fertilisers and the control of soil erosion.

The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to replenish

depleted soil and restore its fertility so that soils are managed sustainably by 2030.

Future farming policy should incentivise sustainable farming practices that protect soil

through our new system of public money for public goods.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Mrs Anne Main: [149980]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he

holds on when the UNHCR plans to report on the feasibility and desirability of relocating

Rohingya refugees to Bhashan Char Island.

Mark Field:

I hope a planned visit to Bhashan Char by the Government and UN Joint Consultative

Working Group can be facilitated as soon as possible. We expect the UN to report

once it has visited the island. In advance of the visit, and to inform discussions with

the Government on Bhashan Char, the UNHCR has produced a position paper

outlining its concerns and the key principles for acceptable relocation. I have

repeatedly made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of

refugees must be safe, dignified and in accordance with international humanitarian

principles, standards and laws

Cameroon: Human Rights


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent

discussions he has had with his Cameroonian counterpart on respect for human rights of

the Anglophone communities in that country.

Harriett Baldwin:

During my recent visit to Cameroon, I met the Prime Minister and the Ministers of

External Relations, Territorial Administration and Defence and we discussed the

tensions in Cameroon's Anglophone regions. I have since met with the President's

Secretary General when he was in London. In all discussions, I reinforced the

importance of respecting human rights in a challenging security environment.

During CHOGM, the Foreign Secretary met Cameroonian Prime Minister Yang and

pressed for urgent action to resolve the dispute and associated violence. I also met

Commonwealth Minister Mbayu and delivered the same message.

Hilary Benn: [151080]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment

he has made of the human rights situation in Cameroon.




Harriett Baldwin:

The promotion of human rights in Cameroon remains an objective of the British

Government. Human rights violations and abuses lead to unstable, less prosperous

and undemocratic societies.

The tensions in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon are troubling. The Government

wants to see an end to violence, release of prisoners and a meaningful process to

address the core issues. We welcome the announcement by President Biya in his

New Year speech, calling for moves to rebuild trust, resume dialogue and pursue

decentralization. During my visit in February, I met senior Cameroon Government

Ministers and reinforced the need for restraint, for the avoidance of excess force and

for respect for human rights.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Brexit

Rushanara Ali: [151166]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral

evidence of the Permanent Secretary of HMRC of 23 May and 5 June 2018 to the

Treasury Committee, whether he has seen briefing papers on the estimated figures of

£17-20 billion on the costs of the maximum facilitation model; and what assessment he

has made of the implications for his policies of those estimates.

Sir Alan Duncan:

The analysis to support the estimated £17-20 billion figure was published in a letter

by the Chief Executive of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to the Treasury Select

Committee on 5 June, 2018. The government is considering two approaches to a

future customs relationship with the EU: a 'new customs partnership' and a 'highly

streamlined customs arrangement'. Ongoing analysis continues to support the

development of both models.

Gulf States: Arms Trade

Gill Furniss: [151236]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his

policy to stop arms sales to (a) Saudi Arabia and (b) United Arab Emirates in the event

that the Saudi-led coalition initiates a military attack on Hodeida in Yemen.

Alistair Burt:

Export licences for all countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab

Emirates, are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU &

National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. We keep our assessments under careful and

continual review, in light of events. The Criteria state, among other things, that the

Government will not grant a licence where there is a clear risk that the items might be

used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law.



Marriage: Children


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his

Department has made of the number of marriages involving a party under the age of 16

years worldwide for each year that information is available.

Harriett Baldwin:

Based on information available from UNICEF, one in 20 girls are married under the

age of 15 globally. In 2017, 12 per cent of girls in sub-Saharan Africa were married by

age 15; 8 per cent in South Asia; 5 per cent in Latin America and Caribbean; 3 per

cent in the Middle East and North Africa; and 1 per cent in Eastern Europe and

Central Asia.

Noura Hussein


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the

Answer of 22 May 2018 to Question 143645, if he will (a) call for all charges against

Noura Hussein to be dropped and (b) make further representations to the Sudanese

authorities to that effect.

Harriett Baldwin:

We are deeply concerned about Noura Hussein's case. We continue to make clear to

the Government of Sudan our firm opposition to the use of the death penalty under

any circumstances, and recall the principle of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights that marriage should be entered into only with the free and full consent of

spouses. We will continue to raise this case at a high level with the Government of

Sudan.

Peacekeeping Operations

Thelma Walker: [150239]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he

has made of the number of UK citizens serving as UN peacekeepers.

Mark Field:

740 British forces personnel are currently serving in seven UN missions in six

countries: primarily in South Sudan, Cyprus and Somalia, with smaller deployments

to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali and Libya. Further data including a

detailed breakdown of troop contributions to UN missions by country can be found on

the UN website at https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/troop-and-police-contributors.

Alongside troops and police, there are 12,830 civilians currently serving in UN

peacekeeping operations. These civilians are employed directly by the UN. A number

of these civilians will be British citizens. Information on the number of British citizens

working for the United Nations is not collected by the British Government. Data




relating to civilian personnel in UN peacekeeping missions can be found on the UN

website at https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/data.

Rendition

Mr Alistair Carmichael: [148645]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs agreed to meet the

legal expenses incurred by the al Saadi Family and Abdel Hakim Belhaj and Fatima

Boudchar.

Alistair Burt:

The Government agreed to pay reasonable legal costs in respect of the Belhaj and Al

Saadi cases.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on what date the

resolution process referred to in his oral statement of 10 May 2018, Official Report,

column 936, began.

Alistair Burt:

Mr Belhaj and Mrs Boudchar brought their claim against the Government in 2012.

The Government's decision to seek to settle a case will take into account a range of

factors. It is not appropriate to comment on the conduct of litigation strategy in any

individual case.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, who initiated the

resolution referred to in his oral statement of 10 May 2018, on Belhaj and Boudchar:

Litigation Update, Official Report, column 936.

Alistair Burt:

The Government's decision to seek to settle a case will take into account a range of

factors. It is not appropriate for us to comment on the conduct of litigation in any

individual case.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the legal fees

incurred by the Government were in the Belhaj rendition case from (a) the initiation of the

claim until the commencement of legal proceedings and (b) the commencement of the

resolution process until the final agreement resolving the case.

Alistair Burt:

The total cost payable to the Government Legal Department and counsel for

representation of all the Defendants in the Belhaj case since the claim was brought in

2012 is approximately £3million. This figure includes an estimated amount, to cover a

number of charges that have not yet been invoiced. The Government's decision to

seek to settle a case will take into account a range of factors. It is not appropriate for

us to comment on the conduct of litigation strategy in any individual case. The





Government reserves the right to pursue approaches to its conduct of any

simultaneously, therefore we are not able to delineate legal costs in the way you have

requested.

Sudan: Capital Punishment


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent

discussion he has had with his Sudanese Government on the use of the death penalty in

that country.

Harriett Baldwin:

The British Ambassador to Sudan made clear our strong opposition to the use of the

death penalty at a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 15 May. On the same

date, in partnership with EU members, we released a statement in which we

reconfirmed our firm opposition to the death penalty, and noted our commitment to

the universal abolition of this cruel and inhumane punishment, which is a serious

violation of Human rights and human dignity.

The UK's Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan most recently raised

our opposition to the death penalty on 5 June when he met the Sudanese

Ambassador to the UK.

Yemen: Ports


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment

his Department has made on the effect of a military assault on Hodeida port in Yemen by

the Saudi-led coalition on the prospects of a UN-negotiated peace plan.

Alistair Burt:

The British Government has been clear in expressing its concerns about any attack

on Hodeidah. We call upon all sides to show restraint, urgently de-escalate and

engage in good faith in the political process. It is essential that the UN Special Envoy

is given the time and space needed to facilitate a negotiated solution that avoids

conflict in the city. We continue to be unequivocal in stressing that only a political

solution can bring long-term stability to Yemen – there is no military solution.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Breast Cancer


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to

reduce the regional differences in breast cancer (a) rates and (b) outcomes.




Steve Brine:

NHS England has established 19 Cancer Alliances across the country to bring

together influential local decision-makers, reduce variation in the availability of good

care and treatment for all people with cancer, including breast cancer, and deliver

continuous improvement and reduction in inequality of experience.

NHS England has committed to providing Cancer Alliances with £200 million in

transformation funding over two years to undertake initiatives to diagnose cancer

earlier and improve the lives of people living with cancer.

NHS England and Public Health England have also set up the Cancer Alliance Data,

Evidence and Analysis Service to help drive evidence-based local decisions in the

delivery of improved cancer outcomes, using a whole pathway and cross-

organisational approach.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Jim Shannon: [150122]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to invest in

the mammography workforce to improve the rate and level of breast-screening provision.

Steve Brine:

Health Education England published its first ever Cancer Workforce Plan in

December 2017, which commits to the expansion of capacity and skills. This includes

investing in 300 reporting radiographers by 2021 to support an increase in the

capacity for earlier diagnosis.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the calls the

breast cancer screening helpline has received were from someone whose screening

invitation was not sent and have had a screening appointment offered as a result of that

call; and how many such appointments have taken place.

Steve Brine:

The screening helpline had handled a total of 50,163 calls and received 26,423

requests for screens as of 10 June 2018. The total number of appointments for

mammography offered to 5 June 2018 is 31,508, with younger women being invited

directly rather than through the helpline.

The link between calls and mammograms completed is complex and data cannot be

compared directly. Therefore the helpline data for women who have subsequently

attended for a mammogram will be finalised later in the year.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has contacted any

next of kin for women who had their lives shortened as a result of missing their breast

cancer screening.




Steve Brine:

Public Health England has not yet made contact with any next of kin as patient details

are under review in order to ensure that correct identification of the affected group

takes place.

Cancer: Drugs


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether discussions have

taken place between NHS England and the pharmaceutical industry on the ongoing

review of the operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Steve Brine:

We have been informed by NHS England that regular meetings are held with the

Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry where the Cancer Drugs Fund is

discussed.

Cancer: Mental Health Services

Henry Smith: [150006]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether access to

psychological support under the Cancer Recovery Package will be provided through the

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies pathway for people with long-term physical

health conditions.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Cancer Alliances Groups

are providing the cancer recovery package; and whether it is being provided to all people

diagnosed with cancer in those areas.

Steve Brine:

Psychological support for cancer is a specialised area and is often offered within

cancer teams via health psychology teams. Adults experiencing all forms of cancer

are able to access Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services which

provide evidence-based psychological therapies for people with anxiety disorders and

depression. Recovery Package interventions will help ensure patients have more

personal care and support from the point they are diagnosed. Two of the key

interventions within the Recovery Package, the Health Needs Assessment and Care

Plans, will enable patients to be sign-posted or referred to psychological support,

where necessary.

Personalised follow up and support to help people live well with and beyond cancer is

one of the key strategic priorities in the Cancer Strategy for England, which aims to

create world class cancer services. NHS England will roll out Recovery Package

interventions nationally by 2020 so they are available to all cancer patients across the

country regardless of location. All Cancer Alliances are receiving funding in 2018/19

to support implementation of the Recovery Package.




Chronic Illnesses: Presciptions

Ben Bradley: [149713]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he make an estimate the

merits of making free prescriptions available to all people with lifelong diseases.

Steve Brine:

The Department has no plans to make such an estimate. In the financial year

2016/17 prescription charge income generated £554.9 million of revenue for the

National Health Service which played a key role in contributing to the cost of

providing services.

Source: Department of Health Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17

Doctors: Migrant Workers


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made

of the effect on the number of overseas doctors coming to work in the NHS of placing

new applicants to the Medical Training Initiative on a revised waiting list from countries

not considered priority as identified by the Department for International Development.

Stephen Barclay:

The main focus of the Medical Training Initiative (MTI) is to provide training

opportunities for doctors from the Department for International Development (DfID)

and Lower Income and Lower Middle Income priority countries.

There are 1,000 MTI Certificate of Sponsorships available per year and the majority

of these will be allocated to applicants from countries on the DfID approved priority

list and Lower Income and Lower Middle Income priority countries.

Applicants from countries not considered DfID priority or Lower Income and Lower

Middle Income countries may still apply for the MTI. If there is any remaining capacity

at the end of each month having processed all applications from DfID priority and

Lower Income and Lower Middle Income countries, other applicants will be awarded

a Certificate of Sponsorship taken in order of the receipt of their application.

Donors: Young People


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is

taking to provide information on (a) blood, (b) stem cell and (c) organ donation to enable

young people to make informed choices on being a donor.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for promoting blood, organ and

stem cell donation and carries out a wide range of social marketing activity relating to

donation with information aimed at different target audiences.




In particular, NHSBT has produced a range of free teaching resources to educate

and engage students about organ and tissue donation. These have been co-created

with teachers, educators, clinicians and lessons are specifically tailored to students

aged between 11 and 16 (Key Stage 3 and 4).

NHSBT collaborates with Anthony Nolan and the Adrian Sudbury Schools Education

Trust who both provide education programmes that teach 16–18-year-olds about the

importance of donating stem cells, blood and organs.

Endoscopy

Jonathan Ashworth: [151173]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion

of patients waited more than six weeks for an endoscopy test in each year since 2010-11.

Stephen Barclay:

Data is not available in the format requested.

NHS England collects and publishes monthly data on waiting times and activity for

diagnostic tests, including endoscopy tests which encompass four tests:

colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, cystoscopy and gastroscopy.

Data on how many, and what proportion of patients waited more than six weeks for

these tests from 2010-11 to 2017-18 is available in the attached table.

Attachments:

1. PQ151173 attached data [Data for 151173 6 weeks plus.xlsx]

Epilepsy: Medical Equipment



of the potential merits of providing overnight seizure monitoring devices for epilepsy

patients.

Steve Brine:

No assessment has been made. Decisions about the provision of such devices would

be a local matter. There are a range of systems available for different monitoring

arrangements, including some free mobile phone apps.

General Practitioners: Stoke on Trent

Gareth Snell: [150213]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase

the number of GPs in Stoke-on-Trent.

Steve Brine:

Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have

developed a workforce strategy and plan for the area. This focuses on increasing the

numbers of general practitioners (GPs), and also in diversifying the skill mix within




general practice, to include clinical pharmacists, advanced nurse practitioners,

nurses, physician associates, urgent care practitioners, mental health therapists and

physiotherapists, to provide high quality care for patients through alternative health

professionals.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Sustainability and Transformation Partnership

successfully bid to be an early wave site for GP international recruitment, which is to

commence in July 2018.

A number of newly-qualified GPs have also been recruited to the area through a GP

Fellowship scheme, which enables GPs to develop areas of specialist clinical

interest. In 2018 there are also up to 18 £20,000 salary supplements available to GP

trainees who commit to working for their three year speciality training in Stafford and

Staffordshire as part of the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme.

The CCGs are also working with the BMJ to develop a marketing campaign to raise

the profile of Staffordshire as a place to work and increase the recruitment rate for

General Practice. The campaign will be for 12 months and is planned to start by early

July 2018.

Schemes to improve GP retention are also currently being scoped in preparation to

submit a bid for NHS England funding by the end of June 2018.

General Practitioners: York

Julian Sturdy: [150090]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP trainers were

registered in York in the most recent year for which information is available; and how

many were so registered five years ago.



taking to ensure there are appropriate GP training facilities in York.

Steve Brine:

The York general practitioner (GP) specialty training scheme is well established,

respected, evaluated and popular with those choosing to train to become GPs. It

attracted higher than regional-average fill rates in the last round of GP recruitment.

The scheme has three experienced training programme directors (TPD) that are

responsible for the support and delivery of teaching and training for trainees at

weekly group sessions, as well as the planning and delivery of training rotations in

the area, and support for local GP trainers. The ratio of TPD sessions to trainees is

higher than the average for Yorkshire and the Humber.

The training scheme usually operates from postgraduate education centre at York

District Hospital. There have been recent renovations to this facility and there is a

current period of adaptation and re-organisation, which Health Education England is

supporting locally, to make the facilities ideal for all parties.



GP trainers are responsible for the day-to-day supervision of trainee GPs who are on

placements in practices. In the year August 2016 to July 2017 there were 34

headcount GP trainers linked to the York GP Speciality Training Programme. Data

held prior to this period is not comparable.

General Practitioners: Yorkshire and the Humber


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP trainees began

training in (a) York and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in the most recent year for which

statistics are available.

Steve Brine:

We do not hold data on the number of general practitioner (GP) trainees who started

training in York and Yorkshire and the Humber. The number of GP registrars working

in general practice in the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS

England North (Yorkshire and the Humber) in September 2017 is presented in the

following table. This may not represent all trainee GPs in these regions as they do not

spend the entirety of their training as a GP registrar working in general practice. The

remaining time is spent training in hospitals.

GP REGISTRARS (FULL TIME

EQUIVALENT (FTE)) GP REGISTRARS (HEADCOUNT)

NHS Vale of York CCG 12 13

NHS England North (Yorkshire

and Humber)

244 277

Notes:

1. Figures contain estimates for the 5.4% of practices that did not provide fully valid

GP data.

2. FTE refers to the proportion of full time contracted hours that the post holder is

contracted to work. 1 would indicate they work a full set of hours, 0.5 that they

worked half time.

3. Figures shown do not include GPs working in Prisons, Army Bases, Educational

Establishments, Specialist Care Centres including Drug Rehabilitation Centres and

Walk-In Centres.

Data as at 30 September

Source: NHS Digital


Genetics: Screening


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are plans in

place to undertake a localised population-based genetic research study in England; and if

he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage:

The United Kingdom has a strong history of conducting cohort studies of this kind.

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding

applications for research into any aspect of human health, including localised

population-based genetic research studies. These applications are subject to peer

review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the

importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and

scientific quality.

Haematological Cancer: Ethnic Groups


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to address

the findings of the Anthony Nolan Trust on the comparatively low survival rates for people

with blood cancer from BAME backgrounds.

Steve Brine:

The Government funds Anthony Nolan and NHS Blood and Transplant to improve

equity of access to unrelated donor stem cell transplantation for Black, Asian and

minority ethnic (BAME) patients through targeted recruitment to the United Kingdom

Stem Cell Registry.

The National Cancer Programme is committed to transforming cancer care and

outcomes for all people living with cancer, including those with rarer and hard to

diagnose cancers. Ambitions have been set for all cancers and we are clear that we

will not meet those ambitions without improving what we do for haematological

cancers.

Although cancer patients in England rated their overall care 9 out of 10 in the 2016

Cancer Patient Experience Survey, the survey also tells us that BAME patients report

poorer experiences of cancer care. NHS England is therefore working with clinical

commissioning groups to ensure they use the very best evidence when planning,

commissioning and monitoring services for these communities.

Haematological Cancer: Mental Health Services


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of

the number of people with blood cancer that will be referred into the Improving Access to

Psychological Therapies integrated pathway as a result of the NHS Digital pilot data,

published on 10 May 2018.





To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans NHS Digital has to

publish information on the types of cancer referred into the Improving Access to

Psychological Therapies (IAPT) pathway for people with long-term health conditions in

the statistical releases entitled, Psychological therapies: reports on the use of IAPT

services.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care what plans he has to make an

assessment of the effectiveness of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies

pathway for people with long-term health conditions for people affected by blood cancer.

Steve Brine:

NHS England has not specified estimates of individual conditions for referral into the

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) integrated pathway. Local

commissioning groups decide which pathways they integrate with based on their local

prevalence and local intelligence data.

Similarly, the NHS Digital IAPT dataset does not collect information on patients with a

diagnosis of cancer, or types of cancer.

There are currently no national plans to assess the effectiveness of the IAPT long-

term health conditions pathway on people affected specifically by blood cancer.

However there is robust evidence that by using the National Institute for Health and

Care Excellence approved psychological therapies in addressing the mental health

issues of those people with long term conditions earlier, talking therapies help to

improve patients’ health outcomes so that they become less reliant on primary and

emergency care and importantly, help patients to self-manage their long-term

conditions more confidently.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the General

Practice Forward View, what estimate he has made of the number of people with blood

cancer that will have access to the 3,000 mental health therapists co-located in GP

surgeries; and whether those therapists will be provided with specific training on blood

cancer.

Steve Brine:

No such estimate has been made. Mental health therapists are not specifically

trained on blood cancer as a condition, however cancer as a general condition forms

part of the training which aims to enable experienced psychological well-being

practitioners and high intensity therapists to deliver National Institute for Health and

Care Excellence recommended treatments for people presenting to Improving

Access to Psychological Therapies services with long-term physical conditions such

as diabetes, cardiac disease, respiratory disease, and cancer with accompanying low

mood and/or anxiety. The training focuses on high intensity and low intensity




approaches to support people with mental health problems and physical long-term

conditions or persistent and distressing medically unexplained symptoms.

Hospitals: Death

Mr George Howarth: [149608]


of the (a) extent and (b) causes of regional variation in the proportion of deaths in hospital

in England; and if he will make a statement.



taking to reduce the number of people dying in hospital in areas where there is a high

incidence of such deaths.



taking taken to increase the provision of high quality end-of-life care.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how Sustainability and

Transformation Partnerships plan to measure choice in end of life care in line with his

Department's commitment in its 2018-19 mandate to NHS England.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

Place of death is an important measure of the quality of end of life care. We know

more people would, given the choice and conditions being right, prefer to die at home

and fewer wish to die in hospital than is currently the case. However, we also know

that preferences can change over time, and that it is important we work to ensure

patients receive the right care and support wherever they are being cared for.

Nationally, hospital is currently the most common place of death, with the latest

rolling annual data (2016/17 quarter 4 – to 2017/18 quarter 3) showing that 46% of

patients (all deaths) died in hospital, but it is important to note this has reduced since

2004 when the figure was 57%. Between clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) the

percentage of deaths in hospital ranges from 35% to 63%. Reasons for variation are

complex, and in addition to the differences between geographical areas, there are

also differences between the conditions people may be dying of at the end of life;

between ethnic groups and between deprivation groups.

Public Health England’s (PHE) National End of life care intelligence network collects

and publishes data and analysis on services and outcomes for care at the end of life

care, including place of death nationally, regionally, by CCG and local authority, and

a range of resources to support commissioners to improve delivery of their end of life

care services can be found on the Intelligence Network’s website at the following link,





including PHE’s ‘What we know now’ series, which examines issues of variation in

end of life care:

www.endoflifecare-intelligence.org.uk

On 5 July 2016 we published ‘Our Commitment to you for end of life care’, which set

out what everyone should expect from their care at the end of life and the actions we

are taking to make high quality, personalised care a reality for everyone. This

includes measures to enable personalisation; improve care quality; enhance

education and training in end of life care; and encourage the spread of innovative

models of care. The commitment sets out that by 2020 we want to significantly

improve patient choice, including ensuring an increase in the number of people able

to die in the place of their choice, including at home. On 21 September 2017 we

published ‘One Year On: The Government commitment to everyone at the end of life’,

setting out the good progress made over the first year in implementing the Choice

Commitment. Copies of ‘Our Commitment to you for end of life care’; and ‘One year

on: the government response to the review of choice in end of life care’ can be found

at the following links:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/choice-in-end-of-life-care-government-

response

www.gov.uk/government/publications/choice-in-end-of-life-care-government-progress

We remain committed to improving services and ending variation in end of life care

by 2020. Through the Mandate, we have asked NHS England to deliver the Choice

Commitment, and through NHS England’s National Programme Board for End of life

Care, a range of activity is being undertaken with all key system partners and

stakeholders to achieve this. NHS England works to support local commissioners in

improving the services they provide, including palliative care, and has recently

collaborated PHE and the Care Quality Commission to provide bespoke end of life

care support to all sustainability and transformation partnerships.

For 2018-19, the Government’s Mandate asks NHS England to increase the

percentage of people identified as likely to be in their last year of life, so that their end

of life care can be improved by personalising it according to their needs and

preferences at an earlier stage. NHS England will use the Quality and Outcomes

Framework to demonstrate such an increase by looking at the percentage of people

who are on the general practitioner register for supportive and palliative care, and

consider expected levels based on local populations. Currently the national English

average is 0.37%, it is anticipated this figure will increase in the 2018/19 period.

Further work will also be undertaken to develop indicators that will enable NHS

England to scrutinise the effectiveness of local health economies in delivering choice

and quality in end of life care.

http://www.endoflifecare-intelligence.org.uk/

http://www.endoflifecare-intelligence.org.uk/

http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choice-in-end-of-life-care-government-response



http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choice-in-end-of-life-care-government-progress

http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choice-in-end-of-life-care-government-progress

Influenza


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many flu-confirmed

hospital admissions there were in each year since 2010-11.

Steve Brine:

Data are not collected on the total number of cases from all acute trusts in England.

The following table shows the number of hospitalisations for severe influenza over

eight influenza seasons in England from 2011/12 (when data was available) to

2017/18.

The 2017/18 season experienced the highest rate to date with almost 10,000

confirmed cases observed, translating to approximately 90 cases per 100,000 trust

catchment population. A similar picture was observed in a number of other European

countries. The 2017/18 data for England is being investigated further to understand

factors driving this increase.

Number of hospitalisations for severe influenza over eight influenza seasons in

England from 2011/12-2017/18.

NUMBER OF REPORTING

TRUSTS

TOTAL NUMBER OF FLU CONFIRMED HOSPITALISED

CASES (ALL LEVELS OF CARE)

2010/11* 23 1,651

2011/12 34 551

2012/13 32 1,400

2013/14 35 906

2014/15 32 1,738

2015/16 27 2,781

2016/17 22 1,575

2017/18** 25 9,996

Notes:

*Data for the 2010/11 season was only available up to week 10 of 2011.

**Data for the 2017/18 season is truncated to week 15 to allow for end of season

reporting.

Annual data based on final weekly extracts are included in the 2017/18 annual report

(see Figure 14), available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-flu-reports




The final extracts from each season may not necessarily reflect the numbers

published in previous annual reports.

The data are based on returns from a core set of sentinel acute National Health

Service trusts (approximately 25-30) providing weekly aggregate number on

laboratory confirmed influenza admitted to hospital to all levels of care (critical care

and other wards).

Learning Disability



ensure the adequacy of the transfer of alerts relating to patients with learning difficulties

between different health care providers.

Caroline Dinenage:

NHS England is working in partnership with NHS Digital to develop a reasonable

adjustment flag to be added to the medical records of patients with a learning

disability.

This will alert clinicians across the health service to an individual’s specific needs,

allowing them to make reasonable adjustments, and see what adjustments have

already been made, to facilitate a more bespoke approach for the individual to access

healthcare more easily.

Reasonable adjustment flags will support the implementation of the Accessible

Information Standard, which sets out a specific, consistent approach to identifying,

recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support

needs of service users, and which all organisations providing National Health Service

care are legally required to follow.

Liver Cancer

Jo Platt: [151255]


taking to improve (a) survival rates and (b) research into liver metastasis.

Steve Brine:

Cancer is a priority for this Government and survival rates are at a record high. Since

2010 rates of survival from cancer have increased year-on-year. Around 7,000

people are alive today who would not have been had mortality rates stayed the same

as in 2010.

The Department invests £1 billion per year in health research through the National

Institute for Health Research (NIHR). NIHR cancer research expenditure has risen

from £101 million in 2010/11 to £137 million in 2016/17. This constitutes the largest

investment in a disease area. The NIHR is funding and supporting a range of

research relevant to liver metastases. This includes, for example, a £1.76 million trial

of liver resection surgery versus thermal ablation for colorectal liver metastases, and



early research on specialised magnetic resonance imaging scanning to detect liver

metastases in colorectal cancer.

NHS Trusts: Contracts


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Departments policy is

on clinical commissioning groups levying fines on NHS Trusts that fail to meet contractual

targets.

Steve Brine:

The NHS Standard Contract, which is used by clinical commissioning groups for all

contracts with hospital providers of National Health Service healthcare services, sets

out the consequences of breaches of the waiting time standards and other

requirements. In many cases, this consequence is in the form of a financial sanction.

Where a provider breaches a national standard set out in the Contract, prior to April

2016 it was mandatory, under the Contract, for the commissioner to apply the

relevant financial sanction. This changed from April 2016, when the application of the

principal sanctions (for accident and emergency waiting times, cancer waiting times

and waiting times for elective care) being suspended for those NHS trusts and

foundations trusts in the national Sustainability and Transformation Fund (STF).

Trusts which signed up to the conditions of the STF, including in particular the

delivery of a financial control total, were exempted from sanctions. Since April 2018,

the arrangement has remained similar in principle, although the STF has now been

renamed the Provider Sustainability Fund (PSF) and the range of sanctions

suspended has been broadened.

The great majority of trusts have signed up to the STF/PSF conditions since April

2016 and have been protected from financial sanctions as a result.

NHS: Staff

Nic Dakin: [149664]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has

assessed the number of NHS employees (a) who work while being sick enough to stay at

home and (b) the potential effect of that practice on the NHS.

Stephen Barclay:

The Department uses the NHS Staff Survey to assess how many National Health

Service employees work while being sick enough to stay at home. The 2017 NHS

Staff Survey results shows a small increase, from 56% (2016) to 57% (2017) in the

number of staff reporting that they attended work in the last three months despite

feeling unwell because they felt pressure from their manager, colleagues or

themselves.

Information on the potential effect of staff working whilst being sick enough to stay at

home is not collected.



Recognising that staff ill-health and related absence is linked to an increased risk of

unsafe care, worse experiences of care for patients and poorer outcomes, the

Department continues to commission NHS Employers to help NHS trusts improve

staff health and wellbeing through a structured programme of advice, guidance and

best practice. They have a dedicated section on presenteeism and what to do as a

manager to solve the problem of presenteeism in their toolkit. The toolkit is available

at the following link:

http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/retain-and-improve/staff-

experience/health-work-and-wellbeing/action-on-absence/everything-you-need-to-

know-about-sickness-absence


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost to NHS

hospitals was of using (a) agency staff and (b) bank staff in each year since 2010-11.

Stephen Barclay:

Comparable figures for agency expenditure are available from 2012-13 in the

following table.

YEAR £ MILLION

2012-13 2,113

2013-14 2,589

2014-15 3,190

2015-16 3,635

2016-17 2,935

2017-18 2,407

Comparable figures for bank staff expenditure are available from 2015-16 in the

following table.

YEAR £ MILLION

2015-16 1,768

2016-17 2,511

2017-18 2,935

http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/retain-and-improve/staff-experience/health-work-and-wellbeing/action-on-absence/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sickness-absence





NHS: West Midlands



address NHS workforce shortages in the West Midlands.



of the adequacy of the speciality staff workforce in the NHS; and what steps he is taking

to ensure that vacancies in that workforce are filled as quickly as possible.

Stephen Barclay:

Locally, responsibility for assessing and managing staffing levels, including specialty

staff, rests with individual National Health Service trusts and their boards who are

best placed to decide how many staff they need to provide a given service.

‘Facing the Facts – Shaping the Future – a draft health and care workforce strategy

for England to 2027’, sets out actions being taken to ensure sufficient supply of staff

across all grades and specialties, including an expansion of undergraduate medical

school places and expansions of available nursing and midwifery training places.

In addition, NHS Improvement has launched a programme to improve staff retention

in trusts across England and bring down the leaver rates in the NHS by 2020.

My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care also announced

measures to support staff recruitment and retention, including arrangements to

support flexible working to help staff to balance work-life commitments and a 'Homes

for Nurses' scheme — which will give 3,000 NHS workers first refusal on affordable

housing generated through the sale of surplus NHS land.

Obesity

Tom Watson: [151098]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Obesity Review

Group last met.

Tom Watson: [151099]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role the Obesity Review

Group has played in shaping the child obesity strategy due to be released.

Steve Brine:

The Obesity Review Group last met in January 2015 and is no longer active.

Patients: Proof of Identity


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to (a) publish

the evaluation report on the national pilot on hospital trusts requesting two forms of

identification from all patients, (b) whether that evaluation included consideration of






whether requesting two forms of identity (i) delayed, (ii) deterred or (iii) prevented patients

who did not have proof of identity documents but were entitled to NHS services free of

charge from accessing healthcare; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Barclay:

The evaluation report on the national pilot on hospital trusts requesting two forms of

identification from all patients commissioned by Ipsos Mori will be published in due

course alongside the Department's proposed next steps and recommended

approach.

The evaluation did consider whether requesting two forms of identity delayed,

deterred or prevented patients who did not have proof of identity documents but were

entitled to NHS services free of charge from accessing healthcare. Nobody was

denied or prevented from accessing healthcare as a result of the identification checks

irrespective if a patient had identification or not.

Pharmacy: Health Services

Bim Afolami: [149705]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to

implement the recommendations of the independent review of community pharmacy

clinical services commissioned by the NHS.

Steve Brine:

The implementation of the National Health Service Five Year Forward View has taken

into account the findings of the Murray Review. NHS England has seen progress in a

number of areas to implement the recommendations. For example the Pharmacy

Integration Fund has supported a pilot in the North East of referral from NHS 111 to

community pharmacies for minor illness and the national ‘stay well campaign’

continues to highlight the role of community pharmacy in this area. We are aware of

locally commissioned schemes addressing hypertension. The Pharmacy Integration

Fund is also supporting the roll out of clinical pharmacists in general practice and in

care homes with additional training to award independent prescriber status.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to roll-out

a minor ailments scheme through community pharmacies as recommended by the

independent review of community pharmacy clinical services.

Steve Brine:

Minor ailment services are currently commissioned locally by the National Health

Service according to need. However a national minor illness scheme is in

development, building on a pilot digital minor illness referral service (DMIRS) that

commenced last year in the North East. This scheme provides direct referrals from

NHS 111 to community pharmacy. Three further DMIRS pilots, supported by the

Pharmacy Integration Fund, are due to be launched by early autumn 2018, in Devon,

London (in a phased approach), and East Midlands. The areas will be adopting the



same model used in the North East with some minor adaptations dependent on the

local NHS 111 case mix. An evaluation will inform any next steps for the project.



of the merits of proposals to permit community pharmacists to identify and manage

uncomplicated cases of hypertension as part of the forthcoming community pharmacy

funding negotiations.

Steve Brine:

Ministers recognise the value and skillset of community pharmacists and their teams

with several programmes of work, supported by the Pharmacy Integration Fund,

already investigating how we can better utilize their knowledge and expertise in a

wide range of primary care settings. The Department is unable to comment on the

specifics of the forthcoming negotiations. However any suggested amendments to

services delivered under the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework, brought

forward by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, will be discussed

and considered carefully.

Pharmacy: Scotland


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his

Department has made of the merits of community pharmacist supplementary and

independent prescribing clinics in Scotland for England.

Steve Brine:

The Scottish Government will shortly be conducting a review of community pharmacy

supplementary and independent prescribing clinics. The Department will consider

carefully the findings of this review.

In England, the Pharmacy Integration Fund is being used to support the employment

of pharmacists, who are able to prescribe and access the full clinical record within

integrated urgent care, general practice and care homes. These pharmacists are well

placed to work alongside the wider medical team to optimise the use of medicines

and improve clinical effectiveness.

Stem Cells: Donors


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to what financial support his

Department has provided to projects that collaborate with international stem cell donor

banks to diversify the UK's stem cell donor register.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

The Department provides financial support to NHS Blood and Transplant and

Anthony Nolan to enable improved provision of stem cells for patients requiring a

transplant including funding for targeted efforts to recruit people from Black, Asian




and Minority Ethnic backgrounds to the United Kingdom register. This funding has

enabled the establishment of a unified stem cell registry for the UK, the ‘Anthony

Nolan and the NHS Stem Cell Registry’.

Each of the UK’s stem cell registries that collectively form the ‘Anthony Nolan and the

NHS Stem Cell Registry’ is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association

(WMDA) – a group of organisations and individuals who promote global collaboration

and best practices for the benefit of stem cell donors and transplant patients.

The WMDA’s ‘Search & Match Service’ is a global database of life-saving donors that

provides a fast search facility to find the best matched donor or cord blood unit in the

world for a patient in need of a blood stem cell transplant.

Mohammad Yasin: [149695]


encourage BAME people to sign up to the stem cell donor register.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

The Department funds Anthony Nolan and NHS Blood Transplant to improve equity

of access to unrelated donor stem cell transplantation for Black, Asian, and minority

ethnic (BAME) patients through targeted recruitment to the Anthony Nolan and the

NHS Stem Cell Registry.

More than £20 million has been provided to NHS Blood and Transplant and Anthony

Nolan for stem cell donation since 2015, and this funding includes very specific

stipulations about the numbers of newly registered bone marrow donors, and the

proportion of umbilical cords stored in the UK Cord Blood Bank that must be from

BAME backgrounds (35-40%). This includes specific funding to support recruitment

of donors from BAME backgrounds.

In 2016 NHS Blood Transplant began a partnership with Team Margot and launched

the Golden Ticket campaign. This project created 35,000 Golden Tickets which were

circulated to existing BAME and mixed-race blood donors to encourage them to sign

on to the stem cell donor register.

HOME OFFICE

Animal Experiments: Dogs

Nic Dakin: [150073]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) tests of pesticides

and (b) other experiments were carried out on dogs in relation to legislation on plant

protection products in 2016.

Mr Ben Wallace:

The Home Office has published the annual statistics of scientific procedures on living

animals in Great Britain. The published figures for the numbers of dogs used in

relation to legislation on plant protection products can be found at:



https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-

animals-great-britain-2016).

Data were not collected on whether these tests specifically relate to pesticides.

Nic Dakin: [150074]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to reduce the

number of dogs used in animal experiments by applying the principles of (a) replacement

and (b) reduction and refinement in the licensing process; and if he will make a

statement.

Mr Ben Wallace:

The UK is committed to maintaining a rigorous regulatory system which ensures that

animal research and testing is carried out only where no practicable alternatives exist

and under controls which keep suffering to a minimum. The Home Office ensures all

research proposals are compliant with the principles of Replacement, Reduction and

Refinement (the 3Rs).

Nic Dakin: [150075]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to review the

use of dogs as a second species for the purpose of regulatory toxicity testing; and if he

will make a statement.

Mr Ben Wallace:

There are currently no plans to review the use of dogs as a second species for

regulatory toxicity testing.

Dogs are a specially protected species under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act

1986. The Home Office will only grant a project licence for a programme of work

using dogs where the purpose of the programme of work specified in the licence can

only be achieved by their use, or where it is not practicable to obtain other suitable

animals.

Nic Dakin: [150076]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many dogs were used in

licensed animal experiments in the UK in each year between 2010 and 2016; and what

assessment he has made of trends in the number of such dogs (a) over and (b) between

those years.

Mr Ben Wallace:

The Home Office has published the annual statistics of scientific procedures on living

animals in Great Britain. The published figures for the numbers of dogs used in

scientific procedures between 2010 to 2016 can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-

living-animals.

No assessment of trends has been made.




Crime

Nic Dakin: [150071]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much resource police

allocated to investigating crimes in (a) Humberside and (b) England in each year from

2010 to 2017.

Mr Nick Hurd:

We are helping the police to respond to changing demand with a £460m increase in

overall funding in 2018/19, including precept. Most PCCs have committed to

protecting or increase frontline policing this year.

The Home Office does not centrally hold information on police expenditure on

investigating crimes.

Crimes of Violence: Nottinghamshire

Gloria De Piero: [151138]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made

of trends in the level of violent crime are in Nottinghamshire in the last five years for

which information is available.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office collects recorded crime data for violence against the person

offences and the sub-set of offences classified as knife crimes from all police forces

in England and Wales. Data for last the last five years in the Nottinghamshire police

force area can be found within the police recorded crime and knife crime open data

tables, which are linked to below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

Demonstrations: Palestinians

Fabian Hamilton: [149602]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will ban the Al Quds march

planned for Sunday 10 June as a result of the potential threat to public order.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Secretary has no power to initiate a ban on marches. As set out in the

Public Order Act 1986, section 13 prohibiting public processions, a march can only be

banned where the police consider that it would result in serious public disorder and

that placing restrictions or conditions on such a march – for example its duration,

location and size – would not be enough to prevent this. In the London area, should

this threshold be met, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner would then need to

apply to the Home Secretary for consent to ban the march. No such application has

been made.

We have a long-standing tradition of freedom of expression and association in this

country and the Government is clear that people are free to gather to protest and






express their views in public. However, the right to protest does not extend to threats

and other criminal behaviour. Like all members of the public, protesters are subject to

the law and should individuals cross the boundary into criminal acts including public

order offences, hate crime offences including anti-Semitic or violent behaviour, the

police have powers to act and I would expect them to use these robustly.

HM Passport Office: Staff

Mr Jim Cunningham: [151056]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of

the number of staff working for the Passport Office in each year since 2010.

Caroline Nokes:

HM Passport Office annual figures for the years 2010 to 2014 are published on

gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts.

The figures for 2015 to 2018 are in the attached Table 1 file.

Attachments:

1. Table 1 - PQ 151056 [PQ 151056 Table 1.xlsx]

Immigrants: Domestic Violence

Kate Green: [R] [150669]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion

of women have received a response to their application for destitute domestic violence

concession within three months in each year since the scheme began.

Caroline Nokes:

We do not publish this specific data. This information could only be obtain by a

manual case by case review to collate the data which would be disproportionately

expensive.

Immigration

Afzal Khan: [151250]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is his policy to require

applicants for (a) visas and (b) asylum to provide DNA tests to prove British-born children

are theirs.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases his

Department has required an applicant for a visa or asylum to provide DNA tests to prove

that British-born children are their own in the last five years.

Caroline Nokes:

There is no specific requirement for DNA evidence to be provided in immigration

cases.





It is open to individuals to provide DNA evidence if they choose but this would be on

an entirely voluntary basis and where this is submitted, we will consider it.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of his Department's

administrative reviews of immigration cases have resulted in a decision being (a) upheld

and (b) overturned or sent back to a decision-maker for reconsideration in each of the last

seven years.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unsuccessful

applications for administrative review have resulted judicial review proceedings

challenging those decisions.

Caroline Nokes:

We do not hold sufficiently reliable data to answer the questions in the requested

format.

Nottinghamshire Police


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) police officers and

(b) police community support officers were employed by Nottinghamshire Police in each

of the last three years.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of police officers

and the number of police community support officers (PCSOs) employed by each

police force in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis. These data are published in

the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins.

The latest data available on the number of police officers and PCSOs in

Nottinghamshire, as at 30 September 2017, can be found in Table 1 and Table 3 of

the police workforce statistics published in January 2018:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/675788

/police-workforce-tables-jan17.ods

Data on the number of police officers and PCSOs in Nottinghamshire, as at 31 March

each year and going back to March 2007, can be found in the accompanying Open

Data Table:


/open-data-table-police-workforce.ods

The next release of ‘Police workforce’ statistics is due to be published on 19th July,

and will represent the picture as at 31 March 2018.




https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/675788/police-workforce-tables-jan17.ods



https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/629362/open-data-table-police-workforce.ods



Nottinghamshire Police: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the quantum of difference

is between the amount of central government funding Nottinghamshire Police received in

2010 and that which it received in 2017.

Mr Nick Hurd:

It is not possible to make direct comparisons between these years due to changes in

police funding arrangements over the period.

Police

Nic Dakin: [150072]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 31

May 2018 to Question 146837, what information his Department collects on resourcing

for specific police functions and job roles; and what assessment his Department has

made of the effect on the number of successful prosecutions of not collecting information

on the number of officers employed as detectives.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the primary roles that police

officers, police staff and police community support officers perform, by Police Force

Area, in England and Wales. These data are published annually as part of the 'Police

workforce, England and Wales' statistical bulletin, the latest of which can be

accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-

and-wales-31-march-2017

The latest available data, which covers the situation as at 31 March 2017, can be

found in Table F1, F2 and F3 of the data tables accompanying the main release.

Police workers with multiple responsibilities are recorded under their primary function.

Figures are presented on a full-time equivalent basis.

The next available data, covering the picture as at 31 March 2018, is scheduled for

publication on 19 July, and will be available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales

We are helping the police respond to changing demand with a £460m increase in

overall funding 2018/19, including through Council Tax precept. Decisions on

resources, including the number of detectives employed and how they are deployed

is a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables.

Police: West Midlands



the number of police officers in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry in each year

since 2010.








the number of Police Community Support Officers in (a) the West Midlands and (b)

Coventry in each year since 2010.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of police officers

and Police Community Support officers employed by each Police Force Area in

England and Wales on a bi-annual basis. These data are published in the ‘Police

workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins.

The Home Office collects this information at Police Force Area level only. The latest

data available on the number of police officers and Police Community Support

officers, as at 30 September 2017, can be found in Table 1 and Table 3 of the police

workforce statistics published in January 2018:


/police-workforce-tables-jan17.ods

Data on the number of police officers and Police Community Support officers in West

Midlands, as at 31 March each year and going back to March 2007, can be found in

the accompanying Open Data Table:


/open-data-table-police-workforce.ods

Security Guards: Licensing


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30

May 2018 to Question 146328 on Security Guards: Licensing, what recent assessment

he has made of the effectiveness of the performance of the Security Industry Authority in

relation to processing licence applications and renewals.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office receives regular performance reports from the SIA which includes

information on the processing of licence applications and renewals.

The Annual Reports and Accounts provide published information on the performance

of the SIA. The Department also monitors the SIA’s performance against its

published Business Plan, with the 2018/19 Plan available on the SIA website at:

https://www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk

UK Visas and Immigration: Staff



the number of staff working for UK Visas and Immigration in each year since 2010.









https://www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk/

https://www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk/


Caroline Nokes:

UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) were formed in April 2013. From June 2014, UKVI

figures are published quarterly on gov.uk -

https://www.gov.uk/search?q=Border+and+immigration+cross+cutting+data

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

House of Commons: Pay

Stephanie Peacock: [150216]

To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of

Commons Commission, what pay rise has been awarded to staff in the Catering Services

of the House of Commons for financial year 2018-19.

Tom Brake:

In common with all House of Commons staff, all staff in Catering Services received

an interim pay award of a 1% increase in salary with effect from 1 April 2018. This

interim pay award was an early pay award for 2018–19 and its conditions included

moving the pay date from 1 September to 1 April for each year from 1 April 2019. We

are in negotiations with the unions for a second increase with effect from 1

September 2018.

Parliamentary Estate: Charitable Donations

Clive Lewis: [149683]

To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of

Commons Commission, what estimate has been made of the amount of money raised for

charity from the change collection boxes at cash tills in catering outlets on the

Parliamentary Estate.

Tom Brake:

No estimate has been made of the amount of money raised for charity from the Royal

British Legion (RBL) collection boxes, which are the only ones permitted on the

estate. However, starting from November, the RBL will inform us annually of the

amount raised.

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Building Regulations

John Healey: [151077]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what

steps his Department has taken in response to the Cutland Report on the Central

Administration of Competent Person Schemes since the Government's response to that

report was published in October 2014.




James Brokenshire:

The Cutland report made a number of recommendations on the operation of Building

Regulations competent person schemes. As a result this Department revised the

Conditions of Authorisation under which the schemes operate to make them more

robust as to the competence of members and to provide enhanced consumer

protection. In addition all schemes are now required to be accredited to a quality

management standard ISO/IEC17065 and compliance with that standard is

independently monitored by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.

Buildings: Fire Prevention


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant

to the Answer of 29 May 2018 to Question 145539, if he will allow samples of potentially

dangerous cladding other than aluminium composite material cladding to be tested under

the Government sponsored tests conducted by the Building Research Establishment.

James Brokenshire:

The screening tests, sponsored by the Government, are designed specifically to

identify the type of core material that has been used in an aluminium composite

material panel. As such these tests would not be suitable for assessing other

products. Instead, building owners with other types of cladding should consider the

advice referenced in my earlier answer to Question UIN 145539 on 29 May 2018.

A detailed explanation of the testing program is available on the Department’s

website at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm

ent_data/file/624285/Safety_checks_explanatory_note_170630.pdf

Domestic Violence: Victims



statutory duties local authorities have to ensure the protection of (a) male and (b) female

victims of domestic abuse.

Mrs Heather Wheeler:

Local authorities have a duty under homelessness legislation to provide safe

accommodation to a victim of domestic abuse who has had to flee their home. The

Homelessness Statutory Code of Guidance provide local authorities with guidance on

providing homeless services to people who experience domestic abuse or are at risk

of domestic abuse.

Stronger duties to secure accommodation exist for households who have a priority

need for accommodation. Priority need may include someone who is vulnerable in

some way as a result of ceasing to occupy accommodation because of violence from

another person or threats of violence from another person which are likely to be

carried out.


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/624285/Safety_checks_explanatory_note_170630.pdf




Domestic violence and abuse can affect anyone regardless of their age, gender

identity or reassignment, race, religion, class, sexual orientation and marital status.

Housing authorities should bear in mind that the provisions of the Equality Act 2010

for public authorities apply to policies, practice and procedures relating to

homelessness and domestic violence and abuse.

Government has consulted on what more can be done to protect domestic abuse

victims through the Domestic Abuse Bill, which closed on 31 May. We are currently

analysing the 3,200 plus responses received and will carefully consider what future

courses of action are necessary.

Energy Performance Certificates: Public Buildings


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the

timetable is for the (a) completion and (b) publication of the analysis of the feedback to

his Department's public consultation of 11 February 2015 on improving the Display

Energy Certificates regime for public buildings.

Dominic Raab:

The consultation on display energy certificates was commissioned by the Coalition

Government and was not pursued by the current Government. As set out in the Clean

Growth Strategy, the Government plans to publish a call for evidence on trigger

points for energy performance certificates and how they could be improved. Although

focussed on energy performance certificates and on improving how we measure the

energy performance of buildings, some of the issues to be covered in the call for

evidence are likely to be relevant to display energy certificates also.

EU Grants and Loans

Ben Lake: [150218]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will

publish the stakeholders that his Department is consulting with on the design of the UK

Shared Prosperity Fund.

Ben Lake: [150219]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the

timeframe is for the public consultation on the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Ben Lake: [150220]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which

(a) organisations, (b) individuals and (c) others his Department as invited to respond to

the public consultation on the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Ben Lake: [150222]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which

stakeholders he has met with to discuss the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents






Jake Berry:

We are keen to hear the views of all interested parties and have committed to consult

publically on the design and priorities of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund later this

year.

Ben Lake: [150223]


estimate he has made of the value of the funding that would be allocated to Wales

through UK Shared Prosperity Fund in the event that the allocation was based on

regional Gross Value Added.

Ben Lake: [150757]


assessment he has made of the potential effect on regional development of the UK

Shared Prosperity Fund being allocated using the Barnett Formula.

Ben Lake: [150758]


comparative assessment he has made of the level of funding planned to be allocated to

Wales through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and European structural funding.

Jake Berry:

We have made no such assessment and all decisions on spending will be made at

the Spending Review. The Government continues to work on the design and priorities

of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Ben Lake: [150224]


assessment he has made of the potential merits of replicating the audit and compliance

requirements of EU funding in the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Ben Lake: [150756]


assessment he has made of the potential merits of allocating the UK Shared Prosperity

Fund through a needs-based formula.

Jake Berry:

The Government continues to work on the design and priorities of the UK Shared

Prosperity Fund.

Ben Lake: [150225]


steps he is taking to reduce inequalities between communities across the four nations of

the UK through the shared prosperity fund.







Ben Lake: [150759]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether

the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be directed in support of the priorities in the Industrial

Strategy.

Jake Berry:

We will create the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which will be designed to reduce

inequalities between communities across our four nations as stated in the 2017

manifesto. The money that is spent will deliver sustainable, inclusive growth.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant

to Answer of 29 May 2018 to Question 145539 on buildings: fire prevention, what plans

he has to increase the testing of high-rise buildings with potentially dangerous cladding

other than aluminium composite material cladding.

James Brokenshire:

There are no plans to carry out any building specific testing but we have

commissioned further research on the fire performance of external wall systems,

which we expect to publish later this year. The advice note referred to in my earlier

answer to Question UIN 145539 on 29 May 2018 sets out how building owners can

assess the safety of other cladding systems for themselves, with appropriate expert

advice.

Housing: Construction


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how

many homes have been built on greenfield sites in each calendar year since 1 January

2011.

Dominic Raab:

The Department does not specifically monitor the number of homes built on

greenfield sites. It does, however, produce statistics on the estimated percentage of

new residential addresses created on non-previously developed land. Figures for

2013-14 to 2017-18 are given in Live Table P301, which is available within the ‘2016-

17 residential address change tables’ spreadsheet at

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-land-use-change-

statistics.

The Government is continuing to identify ways to increase the take-up of brownfield

land, especially for new homes, and ensure that suitable brownfield is prioritised for

development. Since the end of 2016-17, almost all councils have published an easy-

to-access register of brownfield land suitable for new homes, bringing many more

sites to the attention of house builders, self-builders and investors. Our revised

National Planning Policy Framework, on which we have consulted, urges the most




effective use of land, including making as much use as possible of brownfield land.

We are analysing the consultation responses.

Local Plans



many local authorities in England have completed a local plan.

Dominic Raab:

In the 14 years since the current plan making regime was introduced, 280 authorities

have adopted a plan with 58 authorities yet to adopt. Of the 58 authorities yet to

adopt a plan, 34 have submitted a plan that is now at examination, 6 have published

a plan ahead of examination and 18 are yet to publish. Having an out of date plan is

not an option and we will, when necessary, intervene to ensure that plans are put in

place, so that communities are not disadvantaged by unplanned growth.

Planning Permission



many planning applications rejected by their relevant planning authority have

subsequently been granted by the Planning Inspectorate in each calendar year since 1

January 2011; and if he will publish that same data by planning authority.

Dominic Raab:

The relevant information can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/planning-inspectorate-statistics

Table 2.4 gives overall planning appeals received and allowed back to 2010 (by

financial year)

Table 5.1 gives the local authority splits for Planning for the last financial year

(2017/18 only)

We also publish the entirety of our appeals data (in the interest of transparency) at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/planning-inspectorate-appeals-database

which is published every quarter and covers a rolling 5 years’ worth of appeal

decisions.

Planning Permission: Wildlife

Sir Desmond Swayne: [151019]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will

revise his Draft National Planning guidance to afford local wildlife sites the presumption

against development; and if he will make a statement.








Dominic Raab:

This Government is committed to ensuring clarity around environmental protections in

the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). We engaged relevant stakeholders,

including environmental organisations, during the consultation on the revised NPPF.

The consultation closed on 10 May 2018 and we are currently considering responses.

The revised NPPF and the Government’s response will be published this summer.

Private Rented Housing: Licensing



he plans to undertake a review of the selective licensing scheme framework.

James Brokenshire:

The Department is committed to carrying out a review of selective licensing. The

launch of the review will be announced in due course.

Social Rented Housing: Fire Prevention



his Department has identified all the buildings in the social housing sector that have

aluminium composite cladding systems which need to be replaced.

James Brokenshire:

The Department believes that it has identified all residential buildings in the social

sector (local authority and housing association-owned) over 18 metres with

aluminium composite material cladding that does not meet the requirements set out

in building regulations guidance.

We are in regular contact with local authorities and housing associations and will

update our records and monthly data release, as well as work with those responsible

for the buildings to ensure interim safety measures are put in place, if any new

buildings are identified.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Abortion

Mr Laurence Robertson: [149902]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent estimate she

had made of the amount of funding her Department has allocated to financing abortions;

and if she will make a statement.

Alistair Burt:

By helping the world’s poorest women access modern contraception, we will prevent

an estimated 6 million unintended pregnancies and 3 million abortions on average

each year.




Family planning reduces, but on its own does not eliminate, the backstreet abortions

that kill women. So, where this is not against local law, the UK will consider

supporting access to safe abortion in the world’s poorest countries. UK aid cannot be

used to fund illegal services.

DFID supports a wide range of reproductive health services designed around

women’s needs, promotion of reproductive health services to prevention and

management of consequences of abortion. DFID includes this entire range of

services under “reproductive health care spend” in accordance with the OECD-DAC

purpose codes for tracking ODA spend. For this reason, costs and numbers of

particular individual procedures are not available.

Developing Countries: Food

Thelma Walker: [150238]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department

is taking to help eradicate world hunger.

Alistair Burt:

DFID puts the Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) to end hunger, achieve food

security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, at the centre of

our work to eradicate extreme poverty, deliver inclusive economic development and

build resilience.

Spend through our bilateral and multilateral agriculture programmes to reduce hunger

and under-nutrition has increased, from £243million (2012) to £484 million (2015) and

roughly £600 million in 2016. We are also working to shape the multilateral agenda.

The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program harness both public and private

investments for SDG2 and implements through a range of multilateral institutions.

DFID is a global leader in addressing acute hunger through humanitarian and famine

relief. DFID has also committed to improve the nutrition of 50 million people overseas

by 2020 and published a Position Paper setting out our plans. Total spend on

nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programmes has increased, from £304 million

(2012) to £667 million (2015).

We are also supporting robust monitoring of progress against the agreed indicators

for SDG2 to be achieved by 2030.

Developing Countries: Slavery


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the oral

contribution of the Minister of State of 18 April 2018, Official Report, column 307, what

progress her Department has made on establishing a business hub to support the

implementation of section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.



Harriett Baldwin:

Good progress has been made on the establishment of the Business Integrity Hub

working closely with the Department for International Trade and Foreign and

Commonwealth Office. DFID has engaged with over 80 companies to help

businesses integrate analysis and management of integrity issues, including modern

slavery, into their strategies for doing business in developing countries. The Hub will

be operational later this year.

Home Office are the lead department for the implementation of section 54 of the

Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Business Integrity Hub will not directly support

implementation of section 54 but will contribute to the legislation’s objective to

increase transparency in supply chains. It will do so by linking businesses with DFID’s

Responsible Accountable Transparent Enterprise (RATE) programme for advice on

ethical supply chain management.

North Korea: Humanitarian Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has had

discussions with the Government of North Korea on the provision of humanitarian

assistance to that country; and if she will make statement.

Alistair Burt:

The Secretary of State has had no discussions with the Government of the

Democratic Republic of North Korea (DPRK) on the provision of humanitarian

assistance. The Department for International Development does not provide aid

directly to DPRK.

Rwanda: Overseas Aid

Neil Coyle: [150146]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she

has made of Rwanda’s progress on the goals outlined in the revised 2012 UK-Rwanda

Memorandum of Understanding.

Harriett Baldwin:

The UK and Rwanda signed a Development Partnership Agreement in 2017, which

includes commitments to a set of partnership principles. We assess that the

Government of Rwanda continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to poverty

reduction, economic and social rights, anti-corruption and sound public financial

management. Commitment to civil and political rights and domestic accountability is

limited and we remain particularly concerned about civil and political rights.

Neil Coyle: [150148]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has

made of the implications for UK aid to Rwanda of that country's £30 million sponsorship

of Arsenal football club.




Harriett Baldwin:

No UK aid money was used for Visit Rwanda’s deal with Arsenal football club, which

the Government of Rwanda has made clear is funded from tourism revenue. All UK

aid to Rwanda is earmarked for specific programmes, such as education and

agriculture, and is subject to robust monitoring to ensure it is achieving results and

value for money for the UK taxpayer.

Yemen: Ports


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has

made an assessment of the humanitarian effect on the local population of a military

assault on Hodeida port in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition.

Alistair Burt:

The UN assess that an attack on Hodeidah could displace up to 350,000 people and

leave hundreds of thousands of Yemenis without access to basic goods, water or

healthcare. 17.8 million people in Yemen already lack reliable access to food – 8.4

million of which face extreme food shortages. UN estimates suggest any long closure

of Hodeidah port is likely to put over 3 million more people at risk of starvation.

The UK government has been clear in expressing its concerns to Saudi Arabia and

the United Arab Emirates about any attack on Hodeidah. We urge all parties to the

conflict to exercise restraint and to continue to facilitate access for essential

commercial and humanitarian imports of food, fuel and medical supplies into the

country, including through Hodeidah port.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Department for International Trade: Non-departmental Public Bodies

Rachel Reeves: [148757]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many (a) women and (b) men

his Department has appointed to each of his Department's non-Departmental Public

Bodies in each of the last five years.

Greg Hands:

The Department of International Trade does not currently have any non-Departmental

Public Bodies.

Israel: Arms Trade

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [149019]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether restrictions on end-use are

applied to UK exports of military equipment to Israel; and if he will make a statement.




Graham Stuart:

We do not have extraterritorial powers to restrict the end use of goods exported

under an export licence from the UK. However, end use is an important consideration

when assessing a licence application against the Consolidated EU and National Arms

Export Licensing Criteria.

This assessment is undertaken on a case-by-case basis and the Consolidated

Criteria require us to think hard about the impact of providing equipment and its

capabilities to the end user. We will not a grant a licence if to do so would be

inconsistent with these criteria.

We are keeping the situation in Israel and Gaza under careful review to ensure that

extant export licences remain consistent with the Consolidated EU and National Arms

Export Licensing Criteria. We will revoke these licences if we assess that they are no

longer consistent with these criteria.

We have no information to suggest that UK supplied equipment has been used in

contravention of the Consolidated Criteria.

Trade Agreements


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations he has

received from (a) members of the public and (b) civil society organisations on concerns

over mechanisms for government accountability on trade policy and the negotiation of

future trade agreements.

Greg Hands:

The Department engages regularly with stakeholders across the business

community, civil society, academia and the public as a whole. This is achieved via a

number of different engagement mechanisms such as stakeholder briefings and

roundtables and the Department are committed to a transparent and inclusive trade

policy.

The Department published a Trade White Paper in October 2017 setting out its

ambition to build an independent trade policy and inviting views on our developing

approach. The Department received 150 responses providing feedback and evidence

in answer to specific questions posed in the policy paper and to our general approach

to a future UK trade policy. In addition, The Department received a large number of

responses (7,429) as part of a Civil Society campaign on transparency and

inclusivity. The Department has carefully considered this feedback and in January

published our response.

In addition to dialogue between Department for International Trade policy officials and

stakeholders, the Department met with a number of White Paper respondents, to

discuss their responses in more detail, gaining valuable insight which we will consider

when developing our policy.


Trade Agreements: Africa

Tom Brake: [149891]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, for what reason he withdrew from

speaking at the Partnering for Prosperity: A New Trade Deal with Africa conference on

the 1 May 2018.

Greg Hands:

I believe that the Rt Hon. Member is referring to my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of

State for International Trade’s invitation to give a speech and attend a dinner at

Chatham House last month.

As I am sure the Rt Hon. Member can appreciate, parliamentary business meant that

the Secretary of State had to attend votes in the House of Commons.

However, he did attend the dinner following Parliamentary voting, which focused on

the UK’s trade policy after the UK leaves the EU. A wide range of topics were raised

in the discussion, including on trade and development.

UK Trade With EU


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of the UK's trade in

goods in 2017 for (a) exports (b) imports was with countries that the UK has a preferential

trading relationship with due to its membership of the EU.

Graham Stuart:

[Holding answer 11 June 2018]: In 2017, UK goods exports to EU countries

accounted for 48.8% of the value of total UK goods exports to the world. In 2017, UK

goods exports to non-EU countries, with which the UK has a preferential trading

relationship due to its membership of the EU, accounted for 12.2% of total UK goods

exports to the world.

In 2017, UK goods imports from EU countries accounted for 54.8% of the value of

total UK goods imports from the world. In 2017, UK goods imports from non-EU

countries, with which the UK has a preferential trading relationship due to its

membership of the EU, accounted for 12.6% of UK goods imports from the world.

Source: ONS Trade in goods MRETS (March 2018), UK Economic Accounts Q4

– October to December 2017 (for Canada and Switzerland) The figures referring

to non-EU countries with which the UK has a preferential trading relationship

excludes those countries with EU trade agreements that have not been

provisionally applied yet, according to the European Commission

website:http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/negotiations-

and-agreements/#_in-place



http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/negotiations-and-agreements/#_in-place



JUSTICE

Knives: Crime

Keith Vaz: [151065]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people who received a custodial

sentence in the last five years for carrying a knife had been previously cautioned.

Rory Stewart:

Between 2013 and 2017 there were 17,277 offenders who received a custodial

sentence on their most recent sentencing occasion for carrying a knife.

Of the 17,277, 413 had previously received a caution for carrying a knife prior to

receiving a custodial sentence for carrying a knife on their latest sentencing occasion.

Modern Slavery Act 2015: Prosecutions

Gareth Johnson: [150020]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of

people prosecuted under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Lucy Frazer:

The number of defendants prosecuted under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in

England and Wales, from 2015 to 2017, can be found at the following link:


/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2017.xlsx

Search ‘offence’ for ‘106 Modern Slavery’.

Figures for 2018 are planned for publication in May 2019.

Oakhill Secure Training Centre

Richard Burgon: [151220]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2018 to

Question 148957, what processes are in place to manage the contractual performance of

(a) STC Milton Keynes Ltd and (b) G4S at Oakhill Secure Training Centre.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of its contractual obligations in

respect of Oakhill Secure Training Centre STC Milton Keynes Ltd has met in each year

since 2010.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, by what metrics the contractual performance of

(a) STC Milton Keynes Ltd and (b) G4S at Oakhill Secure Training Centre are measured.



https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707811/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2017.xlsx






Rory Stewart:

We have been clear that performance at Oakhill needs to improve and we are

robustly monitoring performance against the contract and are clear that all options

remain on the table.

The Contract for Oakhill STC is between the Secretary of State for Justice and STC

Milton Keynes Ltd (the Contractor), of which G4S is their Operating Sub-Contractor.

We therefore do not have information on the proportion of contractual obligations that

G4S has met.

The Contract does not include Improvement Notices as a contractual remedy. Other

mechanisms are in place to manage the contractual performance.

The contract requires the Secretary of State for Justice’s approval to a change in

Operating Sub-Contractor. To date this approval process has not been triggered.

There is no intention to publish any of the YCS Monitoring Team’s findings.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2018 to

Question 148956, for what reasons his Department has decided not to publish the

findings of its Monitoring team into Oakhill Secure Training Centre.

Rory Stewart:

The Youth Custody Service (YCS) are working with the contractor and its operator

G4S to make sure they take immediate steps to improve performance at Oakhill

Secure Training Centre (STC).

The YCS Monitoring team based at Oakhill STC produces a number of regular

documents capturing the output of their work. These documents contain information

that could be used to identify children and staff. They also capture soft intelligence

which has not been triangulated and data that has not been verified to a standard

necessary for publication. These are working documents feeding internal meetings

and shaping the activities of the team and wider assurance. To ensure these

documents are suitable for publication would require a change in working practices

that may come at a detriment to the efficient delivery of their function.

Prisons: Construction


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress his Department has made

with its prisons building programme.

Rory Stewart:

The government set out its ambition for a reformed prison estate in the November

2016 Prison Safety and Reform White Paper. This included a commitment to build up

to 10,000 modern prison places which will provide the conditions to enable governors

to achieve better educational, training and rehabilitation outcomes.



The government has since announced plans, subject to planning approvals, value for

money and affordability, to build six modern prisons in the following locations:

HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Glen Parva (redevelopment of closed

prison);

HM Prison Wellingborough (redevelopment of closed prison);

on land adjacent to HM Prison Full Sutton in Yorkshire;

Port Talbot in Neath;

to redevelop HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Rochester in Kent; and

HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Hindley in Greater Manchester.

We have since received outline planning permission to build on land at Full Sutton

and we are working with the relevant stakeholders to develop our proposals. We are

in the process of applying for full planning permission to redevelop the former HM

Prison Wellingborough and HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Glen Parva.

Contracts have been signed with construction partners and demolition work will begin

in the near future.

We are also building a brand new houseblock at HM Prison Stocken, in Rutland,

which will provide 206 modern places which we expect to be in operation by

December this year

Prisons: Smoking


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents of (a) violence and (b)

disturbance there has been in each prison since the implementation of the smoking ban.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the

level of violence in prisons between (a) inmates and (b) inmates and prison staff since the

implementation of the ban on tobacco.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons that have implemented a ban

on smoking tobacco have put in place special measures including increased security to

manage prisoners’ behaviour.

Rory Stewart:

The information requested in 149636 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost

as the implementation of smoke-free prisons was rolled out at different times.

An analysis was carried out earlier this year on the impact of the tobacco ban on

Prison Safety and Security. There is no conclusive evidence of an increase in

violence in prisons attributable to the tobacco ban. No additional security measures

have been implemented in any prison following the implementation of the tobacco

ban.




Reoffenders: Alternatives to Prison


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 17 May 2018 to

Questions 142392, 142807, 142808, 142809, 142810, 142811, 142812, 142813, 142814,

142815 and 142816, on Re offenders: Alternatives to Prison, what the sentence listed as

other was in each category.

Rory Stewart:

A sentence listed as 'other' is any disposal other than immediate custody, a

suspended sentence, a community sentence, an absolute or conditional discharge, or

a fine.

The details of the ‘other’ sentences imposed were set out in Lucy Frazer’s response

to Question 145563 at HC Deb, 29 May 2018, cW.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Grahame Morris: [151140]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the average waiting time was for a

social security tribunal hearing for each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer:

Information about waiting times for Social Security and Child Support appeals

(covering the period in question) is published on gov.uk and can be viewed using the

following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics

Tribunals


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to establish an MP

hotline for the Tribunal Service for Members to raise constituency cases.

Lucy Frazer:

There are no dedicated telephone lines for MPs to raise individual constituent

Tribunal cases nor are there any policies currently planned intending to introduce

one.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland Government

Catherine West: [150745]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many meetings were held by

members of her Majesty's Government between the start of formal discussions on the

Northern Ireland Peace process and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.







Karen Bradley:

The Northern Ireland Office does not hold information regarding the number of such

meetings, many of which were not hosted by the Department.

SCOTLAND

Broadband: Scotland

Danielle Rowley: [149704]

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the

Scottish Government on improving broadband (a) connections and (b) speeds in

Scotland.

David Mundell:

I am in regular contact with Scottish Ministers on a wide range of issues, including

digital connectivity across Scotland. I am also aware that my Rt hon Friend the

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has recently corresponded

with the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity on the roll-out of

broadband. Officials continue to hold regular discussions with their counterparts in

the Scottish Government.

Industry: Scotland

Liz McInnes: [151190]

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2018 to

Question 905625 on industry: Scotland, whether his discussions on the economic effect

of the industrial strategy on Scotland included the involvement of trade unions.

David Mundell:

The Industrial Strategy has been developed following thorough consultation with a

wide range of stakeholders including trade unions. As part of our ongoing

engagement on the implementation of the Industrial Strategy in Scotland Lord

Duncan of Springbank attends the quarterly meetings of the Scottish Business

Growth Group at which the Scottish Trades Union Congress is represented. The

forum has looked at the role of the Industrial Strategy in contributing to the

development of workplaces and working practices in Scotland.

TRANSPORT

A75: Dumfries and Galloway

Sammy Wilson: [149642]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to

upgrade the A75 in Dumfries and Galloway.




Sammy Wilson: [149643]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had

with (a) Mid and East Antrim Council and (b) the Dumfries and Galloway Council on the

effect on the local economy of improvements on the A75.

Jesse Norman:

Road investment in Scotland is a devolved matter and any plans to improve the A75

therefore fall to the Scottish Government. Where there are areas of cross-border

interest, UK Ministers remain keen to collaborate with their Scottish counterparts. The

Department is contributing to discussions about the proposed Borderlands Growth

Deal, which includes an aspiration to improve the A75.

Air Routes

John Grogan: [151074]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a copy of the

legal advice provided to his Department on the provision of subsidies for regional air

connections from UK airports to Heathrow airport.

Jesse Norman:

The current regulation is clear that subsidies can be provided under Public Service

Obligations (PSOs). The Government already subsidises three PSO routes to London

airports (Newquay to Gatwick; Dundee to Stansted; and Londonderry to Stansted).

The Department has taken further legal advice on the Government’s interpretation of

existing PSO regulations as part of the development of policy to improve connections

between Heathrow and the regions and nations of the UK should expansion go

ahead. This will be central to achieving the Secretary of State’s ambition for up to

15% of slots from a new runway being used for domestic routes.

The Government’s position on domestic connectivity will be set out in a Green Paper

on the Aviation Strategy this autumn and while Government does not publish legal

advice, other relevant documents will be published alongside this consultation as

appropriate.

Air Traffic


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the

potential change in the level of total air traffic movements at (a) Heathrow Airport, (b)

London airports, (c) Manchester Airport, (d) Newcastle Airport, (e) Glasgow Airport and (f)

throughout the UK as a result of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Jesse Norman:

The Government has fully assessed the impact of expansion in the South East on the

UK’s connectivity. As set out in Chapter 3 of the Updated Appraisal Report. The

Government is clear that a Northwest Runway at Heathrow will help to secure the




UK’s status as a global aviation hub, while regional airports will continue to develop

their point-to-point networks.

This conclusion is supported by the analysis which shows that passenger numbers

and international flights at airports outside London are expected to increase by 80%

and 71% respectively between 2016 and 2050 with a third runway at Heathrow. In

addition, passengers from all across the UK are expected to use the connections

made available at an expanded Heathrow, with nearly 6 million additional trips from

passengers outside London and the South East being made via the airport in 2040.

The expected number of Air Transport Movements at each of the listed airports, both

with and without expansion, is given in Annex E (Tables 66 & 67) of the UK Aviation

Forecasts 2017 report.

Airports: National Policy Statements

Justine Greening: [151120]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of

new pages of documentation that have been published as part of his Department's Airport

National Policy Statement on 5 June; and if he will provide a list of those documents.

Jesse Norman:

The Department has made no estimate of the pages of new information published.

On 5 June, the Secretary of State laid in Parliament the Airports National Policy

Statement (NPS). As required under the Planning Act 2008, this was accompanied by

an Appraisal of Sustainability and the Government response to the Transport

Committee scrutiny of the draft NPS. The Government has also published “The

proposed expansion of Heathrow: a summary” and a non-technical summary of the

Appraisal of Sustainability to provide an overview of these documents.

To assist readers, the Government has published change logs of amendments made

to the NPS and the Appraisal of Sustainability since published for further consultation

on 24 October. In addition we have published: a Habitats Regulations Assessment,

an Equality Assessment, and a Health Impact Analysis, each accompanied by

change logs listing amendments made since consultation; a report from the

Independent consultation advisor on the October consultation; a summary of the

responses to the October consultation; the Government’s response to the two public

consultations; nine regional fact sheets; the key findings of an external report on

Heathrow Airport Limited’s (HAL) delivery plans; an external review of proposed the

capacities of HAL's north-west runway and Heathrow Hub Limited’s extended

northern runway; and a new Addendum to the “Updated Appraisal Report: Airport

Capacity in the South-East”.

Aviation

John Grogan: [151073]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of

international flights (a) to and (b) from each UK airport in the event that (i) the north-west



runway at Heathrow is built and (ii) if no additional airport capacity is built in the South

East of England.

Jesse Norman:

The Government has fully assessed the impact of expansion in the South East on the

UK’s connectivity, as set out in Chapter 3 of the Updated Appraisal Report. The

Government is clear that a Northwest Runway at Heathrow will help to secure the

UK’s status as a global aviation hub, while regional airports will continue to develop

their point-to-point networks.

This conclusion is supported by the analysis which shows that passenger numbers

and international flights at airports outside of London are expected to increase by

80% and 71% respectively between 2016 and 2050 with a third runway at Heathrow.

In addition, passengers from all across the UK are expected to use the connections

made available at an expanded Heathrow, with nearly 6 million additional trips from

passengers outside of London and the South East being made via the airport in 2040.

Table 1 below shows the forecast number of international passenger Air Transport

Movements (ATM) from the Department’s 2017 UK aviation forecasts. [1] The

Government recognises that all three schemes for expansion in the South East are

projected to result in regional airports experiencing somewhat slower growth in

international flights than they might otherwise have seen. However, there is still

expected to be strong growth at non-London airports relative to today. Expansion will

also improve the UK’s connectivity as a whole with more frequent services to

important destinations around the world, providing benefits for passengers and

freight-operators across the UK, supporting economic growth.

It is recognised that Table 1 does not reflect this hub benefit nor the considerably

greater scope that expansion brings for more domestic flights from regional airports

to Heathrow, which would provide passengers from across the country access to a

vast network of international destinations. In addition, the modelling does not take

account of the future commercial strategies which individual airports could employ to

take advantage of the opportunities from both greater connections and growing

demand outside London.

Heathrow expansion has been supported by a range of UK airports, including

Liverpool John Lennon, Glasgow and Newquay.

Table 1: International passenger Air Transport Movements at modelled UK

airports, thousands

INTERNATIONAL

PASSENGER

ATMS (000S) NO EXPANSION LHR NWR

2030 2040 2050 2030 2040 2050

Gatwick 266 277 280 255 273 279

INTERNATIONAL

PASSENGER

ATMS (000S) NO EXPANSION LHR NWR

Heathrow 467 473 474 698 719 730

London City 69 65 66 39 55 52

Luton 100 95 88 99 97 89

Stansted 166 182 183 121 163 182

Birmingham 115 173 185 97 130 183

Bristol 56 59 66 49 58 59

East Midlands 52 71 90 53 67 84

Edinburgh 52 63 71 51 63 72

Glasgow 44 47 55 43 46 53

Liverpool 23 25 43 25 27 42

Manchester 179 214 272 159 207 245

Newcastle 26 29 35 22 28 34

Other small

UK airports

140 217 351 113 137 232

Total 1755 1990 2258 1825 2069 233

8

[1] An ATM represents a single use of a runway – either a landing or a take-off – so

the numbers of take-offs and landings are each half of the total displayed.

Aviation: Facilities

Sir Henry Bellingham: [149952]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with

representatives of the general aviation sector on the economic potential of aerodromes.

Jesse Norman:

So far this year Ministers have held a number of discussions with representatives of

the general aviation sector where the economic potential of aerodromes was

discussed.

These have included a round table at Elstree Aerodrome in February, and meetings

with the General Aviation Champion Byron Davies in February, March and May, with

the General Aviation All Party Parliamentary Group in April and with the General and


Business Aviation Strategic Forum in May. The matter has also been raised at many

meetings with officials.

Aviation: Local Government Finance

Sir David Amess: [149562]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to allocate

additional funding to local authorities who own aerodromes to release the economic

potential of those facilities.

Jesse Norman:

Most airport operators whether in the commercial private sector, or in public/private

partnerships operate as private commercial undertakings.

In this regard, the UK’s aviation industry operates essentially without subsidy. It is

therefore for local authorities to determine any additional funding for any aerodromes

they own. Additionally, provision of public funding for airports needs to comply with

the European Community State aid guidelines for airports and airlines.

Aviation: Training


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many commercial pilots were trained in

the UK in each of the last five years of which information is available.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the

number of pilots that are trained in the UK.

Jesse Norman:

The table below shows the number of pilots who, according to the Civil Aviation

Authority’s records, had an initial UK commercial licence issued each year.

Year Number of pilots .

2013 1883

2014 1894

2015 1850

2016 1776

2017 1960

Figures for the number of pilots trained in the UK are not available. Applicants for a

UK commercial pilot’s licence are not necessarily trained in the UK, and many pilots

come to the UK for training but will have a licence issued by their own national

aviation authority.

The Government will explore current and future skills shortages in aviation, such as

pilot training, as part of the Aviation Strategy which is due for publication in 2019.

This will be a long term strategy to 2050 and beyond.




The Aviation Strategy ‘Next Steps’ document, published April 2018, highlighted a

number of considerations for Government to address skills shortages. These included

further collaboration between industry and education providers, realising the full

potential of General Aviation training grounds and work to better understand the

extent of such skills gaps and how these may affect the aviation sector in future.

Bus Services: Standards


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the

potential effect of the proposed works to Bromham Road bridge on journey times for

passengers travelling on the replacement bus service from Wellingborough to Bedford.

Joseph Johnson:

No assessment has currently been made. Until all approvals have been granted, the

timing for the proposed work remains unknown to enable a full assessment of any

journey impact, which we would expect East Midlands Trains to undertake.

Department for Transport: Brexit


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the oral evidence of the

Permanent Secretary of HMRC of 23 May and 5 June 2018 to the Treasury Committee,

whether he has seen briefing papers on the estimated figures of £17-20 billion on the

costs of the maximum facilitation model; and what assessment he has made of the

implications for his policies of those estimates.

Chris Grayling:

The Government is undertaking a wide range of continuing analysis in support of our

EU exit negotiations and preparations. This analysis contributes to our exit

negotiations with the EU, helps define our future partnership with the EU, and informs

our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and

frameworks. We have been clear the Government will not provide an ongoing

commentary on internal analytical work that is being carried out within government.

By leaving the Customs Union and establishing a new and ambitious customs

arrangement with the EU, we will be able to forge new trade relationships with our

partners around the world, and maintain as frictionless trade as possible in goods

between the UK and EU, providing a positive and powerful voice for free trade.

In assessing the options for the UK's future customs relationship with the EU, the

government will be guided by what delivers the greatest economic advantage to the

UK and by our strategic objectives:

To keep trade with the EU as frictionless as possible;

To avoid a ‘hard border’ between Ireland and Northern Ireland;

To establish an independent international trade policy.



Govia Thameslink Railway


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his oral contribution of 4 June

2018, Official Report, column 53, by what date his Department plans to conclude it's

review of whether GTR and Northern met their contractual obligations in the planning and

delivery of the timetable change; and whether he plans to report the conclusions of that

review to the House.

Joseph Johnson:

In line with our duty to protect the public interest by securing compliance with the

franchise agreements under which rail services are delivered, the Department will

examine whether GTR and Northern have met their contractual obligations in line

with the established ‘Enforcement Policy: Rail Franchise Agreements and Closures’

procedure.


ent_data/file/604396/enforcement-policy-rail-franchise-agreements-and-closures.pdf

Govia Thameslink Railway: Timetables

Peter Kyle: [151226]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times he (a) met and (b) had other

contacts with representatives from Govia Thameslink Railway to discuss the

implementation of the Rail Plan 2020 timetable changes in each of the last six months.

Joseph Johnson:

My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State has regular meetings with representatives

from the rail industry where a range of topics are discussed. As he made clear in his

recent statement to the House, as few as three weeks before the timetable was to be

implemented Govia Thameslink Railway assured the Secretary of State they were

ready to implement the timetable changes.

London-Brighton Railway Line: Repairs and Maintenance


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the

capability of Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway to complete the scheduled work

programme on the Brighton Mainline in October 2018 and February 2019.

Joseph Johnson:

The Government is committed to a £300m programme of works to improve asset

performance on the Brighton Mainline and Thameslink routes, following my

announcement in January 2017. Both Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway

plan for significant improvement works on the Brighton Mainline in October 2018 and

February 2019. The works in October 2018 and February 2019 will need to go

through a number of industry readiness assessments and I and the Department have


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/604396/enforcement-policy-rail-franchise-agreements-and-closures.pdf





and will continue to challenge the rail industry to ensure the plans, and alternate

travel arrangements for passengers, are appropriately robust.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with (a)

Network Rail and (b) Govia Thameslink Railway on arrangements for replacement

transport during the period of the scheduled work programme on the Brighton Mainline in

October 2018 and February 2019; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of

those arrangements.

Joseph Johnson:

The Department continues to work closely with Network Rail and GTR to ensure that

bus replacement services and other arrangements will be in place to minimise

disruption to passengers during both blockades. That work is ongoing and kept under

review.

Members: Correspondence

Stephen Kinnock: [150143]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to the

correspondence from the hon. Member for Aberavon on 29 March and again on 3 May on

the East Coast Mainline.

Joseph Johnson:

No correspondence was received from the Hon Member dated 3rd May on the East

Coast Mainline. Regarding the correspondence dated 29th March a response was

sent out on 2nd May.

Northern

Julie Cooper: [150159]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 24.1 of schedule

6 to part 1 of the Northern Rail franchise agreement, published in February 2016, what

assessment he has made of Northern Rail's reports on recruited and trained drivers

required to operate the franchise.

Joseph Johnson:

[Holding answer 11 June 2018]: Clause 24.1 of Schedule 6 of the Northern

Franchise Agreement refers to a commitment to provide an assessment by 31st

March 2016 of the forward recruitment plans inherited from the previous franchisee

for December 2017 timetable changes. The December 2017 changes were

introduced without difficulty in this regard.

As further information, Northern had a requirement of approximately 1500 drivers to

operate the May 2018 timetable and they recruited and trained additional Drivers

resulting in a total of 1529 drivers currently.




Office of Rail and Road: Public Appointments


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what processes and procedures were

followed in the reappointment of Stephen Glaister as the Chairman of the Office of Rail

and Road.

Joseph Johnson:

The appointment process was conducted in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s

Governance Code on Public Appointments and the Principles of Public

Appointments.

Railways: Overcrowding

Yasmin Qureshi: [149653]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the

potential effects on passenger safety of overcrowding on trains.

Yasmin Qureshi: [149654]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the merits

for passenger safety of a maximum ratio of passengers to seats in trains.

Joseph Johnson:

All franchises let by Department for Transport require the train operator to take

reasonable steps to address crowding.

Safe assessment and operation of services is a matter for individual rail operators’

safety management systems as certificated by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

We expect all franchised operators to discharge the Franchise Agreement in line with

industry safety standards.

Railways: Standards


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, the total number of trains (a) cancelled and

(b) delayed for each franchise in each month since January 2018.

Joseph Johnson:

The attached document provides information on the total number of trains (a)

cancelled and (b) delayed for each franchise in each month since January 2018.

Railways: Timetables


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the

potential for conflict of interest in relation to the appointment of Stephen Glaister the Chair

of Network Rail’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, to conduct an inquiry into the

May 2018 timetable implementation.






Joseph Johnson:

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent regulator for the rail sector. As

a public body independent of government, the ORR is answerable to Parliament. It is

established by statute, and operates under a legislative framework that assures its

independence from both government and the rail companies that it regulates. The

government has asked the ORR to conduct the inquiry within this framework, which

assures the independence of this work.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 June 2018 to

Written Question 148967, on how many of the 11 occasions that he met Network Rail

representatives was the implementation of the May 2018 timetable changes specifically

discussed.

Joseph Johnson:

I would like to refer the Hon gentleman to my answer I gave on 06 June.

Southern: Portsmouth Harbour

Stephen Morgan: [150243]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has assessed the

effect on tourism of the reduction in the level of train services to Portsmouth Harbour

under new Southern Rail timetable.

Joseph Johnson:

The Department for Transport has not made any assessment of the impact of the

new Southern Rail timetable on tourism in Portsmouth. Timetables are agreed

between the train operating company and Network Rail.

Thameslink Railway Line: Standards


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many train services from Bedford to

London have not stopped at West Hampstead since 20 May 2018; and what discussions

he has had with Govia Thameslink on those services no longer stopping at West

Hampstead.

Joseph Johnson:

As part of the new timetable, West Hampstead Thameslink is now classified as a

metro station and Bedford as a main line station. The metro services that will call at

West Hampstead during peak times will start from St Albans and Luton.

A key part of the strategy for the new timetable is to deliver capacity and performance

benefits by separating main line and metro services.

The Department for Transport worked with the rail industry to specify the details of

this timetable. This was consulted on three times by Govia Thameslink Railway, as

the operator of Thameslink services, in one of the largest ever consultations to take

place on the railways.




Transport Focus: Scotland

Martyn Day: [151218]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of

the potential merits of devolving responsibility for Transport Focus in Scotland to the

Scottish Government.

Joseph Johnson:

The Government has no plans to review the position of transport Focus in Scotland.

The Scottish Government already has an important role in Transport Focus through

the member of Transport Focus’s Board who is appointed by Scottish Ministers.

Transport Focus also has well established links with the Scottish Government and

ministers, Transport Scotland, and with a number of other Scottish transport bodies,

who it works closely with as it advocates for transport users.

Transport: Ombudsman


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to create a

transport ombudsman service.

Joseph Johnson:

The Government is supporting the introduction of an ombudsman scheme for rail

passengers being established by the Rail Delivery Group, working closely with

Transport Focus, London TravelWatch and the Office of Rail and Road. There are

currently no plans to extend the remit of the Rail Ombudsman into other areas of

transport.

Redress and resolution services already exist in other areas of passenger transport,

such as the alternative dispute resolution arrangements in place for aviation

passengers and bus passengers.

TREASURY

Arts: National Insurance Contributions

Kevin Brennan: [151097]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of

the proposed abolition of Class 2 National Insurance Contributions on creators earning

less than £6,205 per year.

Robert Jenrick:

On November 2nd 2017, the Government announced a one year delay to the abolition

of Class 2 National Insurance contributions (NICs) to allow time to engage with

interested parties and Parliamentarians with concerns relating to the impact on self-

employed individuals with low profits. The Government is considering these

concerns, including those you have raised, and will respond in due course.




Cash Dispensing: Older People


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the

potential effect of LINK’s proposed reduction in the ATM interchange fee on the ability of

older people to access cash free of charge.

John Glen:

The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains extremely

important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK.

Government has been engaging and will continue to engage with the regulators and

industry, including LINK, to ensure that it is maintained. At Spring Statement,

Government also launched a public Call for Evidence on cash and digital payments

which, amongst other things, seeks to find out how cash usage and need varies by

demographics.

The Government established the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) in 2015 with a

statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of

their users.

As part of this, the PSR is monitoring developments within ATM provision. The PSR

recently commissioned work to understand the impact on the provision of free-to-use

ATMs that a reduction in interchange fees may have. A summary of the findings can

be found on their website at this link: https://www.psr.org.uk/psr-focus/the-uk-atm-

network/atm-impact-study. The Government has therefore not made its own

assessment of the impact.

The PSR have also set out three requirements of LINK: that LINK must maintain the

current geographical spread of ATMs; that any changes made to interchange fees

must be incremental to allow LINK to monitor the impact and take action if the impact

is not as expected; and for a greater focus on LINK’s financial inclusion programme,

to continue to fill gaps in the network. The PSR has committed to using its powers to

act should LINK behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives.

Cryptocurrencies


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on

(a) the UK financial technology sector and (b) the UK economy of the current regulatory

approach to the UK cryptocurrency sector.

John Glen:

The Government published the Fintech Sector Strategy on 22 March, which sets out

the action we have taken to make the UK the best place to start and grow a fintech

business, including setting out the current regulatory approach, and what else we

plan to do to maintain this position. This strategy also looked at the impact of the

Fintech sector on the UK economy.


https://www.psr.org.uk/psr-focus/the-uk-atm-network/atm-impact-study




As part of the Fintech Sector Strategy, the Government established a Cryptoassets

Taskforce, consisting of HM Treasury, the Bank of England, and the Financial

Conduct Authority. This Taskforce is exploring the impact of cryptoassets, the

potential benefits and challenges of the application of distributed ledger technology in

financial services, and assessing what, if any, regulation is required in response. The

Taskforce will report back by the end of summer.


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the

policy of (a) Gibraltar, (b) Switzerland and (c) Malta on cryptocurrencies; and if he will

make a statement.

John Glen:

The government has established a Cryptoassets Taskforce, consisting of HM

Treasury, the Bank of England, and the Financial Conduct Authority. It is exploring

the impact of cryptoassets, the potential benefits and challenges of the application of

distributed ledger technology in financial services, and assessing what, if any,

regulation is required in response. The Taskforce will report back by the end of

summer.

As part of this work, officials will be looking further at international approaches and

working closely with our international counterparts, for example through the OECD

and G20.

Customs Declaration Services Programme

Chris Law: [150155]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the funding allocated from the

public purse to HMRC to implement the Customs Declaration Service relates to (a)

general staff costs and (b) the cost of contractors.

Mel Stride:

The proportion of funding allocated by HMRC for general staff costs to implement the

Customs Declaration Service is 18% of the total funding received.

The amount HMRC pays contractors is commercially sensitive and cannot be

disclosed. HMRC uses Crown Commercial Service frameworks to procure contractor

resources to ensure competitive market rates.

Chris Law: [150156]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many contractors are engaged by HMRC to

work on the implementation of the Customs Declaration Service.

Mel Stride:

HMRC currently has 63 contingent labour contractors working on the Customs

Declaration Service. The number of contractors working on the programme has

varied considerably over time. HMRC only employs contractors when there is a

clearly identifiable skills gap that it cannot fill within the existing staff resources at its

disposal.




Chris Law: [150157]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average weekly fee is paid by HMRC to

contractors working on the implementation of the Customs Declaration Service.

Mel Stride:

The fees HMRC pays contractors are commercially sensitive. HMRC uses Crown

Commercial Service frameworks to procure contractor resources to ensure

competitive market rates.

Customs Unions


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral evidence of the Permanent

Secretary of HMRC of 23 May and 5 June 2018 to the Treasury Committee, whether he

has seen briefing papers on the estimated figures of £17-20 billion on the costs of the

maximum facilitation model; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his

policies of those estimates.

Mel Stride:

The analysis to support the estimated £17-20 billion figure was published in a letter

by the Chief Executive of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to the Treasury

Select Committee on 5 June, 2018.

The government is considering two approaches to a future customs relationship with

the EU: a ‘new customs partnership’ and a ‘highly streamlined customs arrangement’.

Ongoing analysis continues to support the development of both models.

Excise Duties: Fuels


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the

implications of the findings of the report by Professor David Begg entitled Unintended

Consequences of Freezing Fuel Duty, published on 1 June 2018, for the Government's

policies on (a) transport, (b) road congestion, (c) air quality and (d) lost tax revenues.

Robert Jenrick:

To support British households and businesses, at Autumn Budget 2017, the

government froze fuel duty for the eighth successive year. Since public finances are

based on the assumption that fuel duty will increase with RPI at every Budget, any

increase below this represents a cost to the Exchequer. Successive freezes since

2011 have saved the average driver £620 compared to what it would have been with

RPI increases.

Since 2011, the announced freezes to fuel duty have meant the Exchequer has not

collected around £46 billion in revenues through to 2018-19. For the purposes of

comparison, this is around twice as much as we spend on all NHS nurses and

doctors each year.”




Funerals

Neil Gray: [151193]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to section 3.1 of his Department’s

consultation entitled, Pre-paid funeral plans: call for evidence, published in June 2018,

what the evidential basis is for the statement that the current framework of self-regulation

in the funeral plan sector is not sufficient.

John Glen:

The Funeral Planning Authority regulates 95% of the market. The FPA reviews

registered providers’ compliance with its code of practice and has the power to

terminate membership or levy a fine of up to £5,000 should a firm fail to adhere to its

principals. These powers have never been used. Moreover, the voluntary nature of

the FPA’s jurisdiction means it cannot prevent firms from trading, and that some firms

are currently operating outside of regulation entirely. Where things do go wrong,

consumers do not have access to adequate redress or arbitration services.

HM Treasury has conducted meetings with several market participants who have

indicated that the current framework of self-regulation is insufficient. Citizens Advice

Scotland and Fairer Finance have published reports which analyse the pre-paid

funeral plan market. The reports highlight numerous failings in the sector including a

lack of clarity for consumers and high pressure and misleading sales activity.

Neil Gray: [151194]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many meetings his Department has had

with the Financial Conduct Authority on the content in the consultation entitled Pre-paid

funeral plans: call for evidence, published in June 2018.

John Glen:

HM Treasury has engaged extensively with the Financial Conduct Authority through a

variety of channels in the run up to launching the Call for Evidence on the pre-paid

funeral plan market.

Life Insurance


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has

held recent discussions with the insurance industry on consumer rights relating to life

insurance products; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen:

The government remains in regular discussion with the insurance industry, the

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and other interested parties on the functioning of

the insurance industry in the UK.

The government is focused on ensuring that everyone has access to suitable

insurance products.




The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is directly responsible for regulating and

supervising the financial services industry, including insurance firms. It sets the

conduct standards required of insurers, which aim to ensure that consumers are

treated fairly and can access appropriate insurance products.

Public Expenditure: Scotland

Luke Graham: [149701]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any additional funding secured from the

UK Government as a result of additional borrowing powers being triggered by the

Scottish Fiscal Commission under the condition of a Scotland-specific economic shock is

sent to the Scottish Government as a block or is administered directly by the UK

Government.

Elizabeth Truss:

Under the Scottish Government’s fiscal framework agreement, the Scottish

Government can borrow up to £600m per year – within an overall limit of £1.75bn -

for any observed or forecast shortfall in devolved or assigned tax receipts or demand-

led welfare expenditure in the event of a Scotland-specific economic shock. Where

this provision is triggered, the Scottish Government will be able to draw down

resource borrowing from the National Loans Fund within the agreed limits as deemed

appropriate to manage any volatility in their budgets.

Public Sector: Pensions


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the

implications for his policies on public service pensions of the judgment in relation to

Mcloud v Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.

Elizabeth Truss:

The Government is disappointed with the ruling of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in

McCloud v. Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and has appealed the

judgment to the Court of Appeal.

Royal Bank of Scotland


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the financial loss

to the public purse of the sale of RBS shares on 4 June 2018.

John Glen:

The Government’s shareholding in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is managed at

arm's length and on a commercial basis through UK Government Investments Ltd

(UKGI), a company which is wholly owned by the government, with the objective of

creating and protecting value for the taxpayer.




On 5 June 2018, the Government concluded a second sale of its shareholding in

RBS, restarting the phased return of the bank to full private ownership. The

Government sold approximately 7.7% of the bank (925m shares) through an

overnight accelerated bookbuild (ABB) process, raising just over £2.5bn for the

taxpayer (at a price of 271p per share). This reduced the government shareholding to

62.4% (from 70.1% pre-sale).

The Government should not be in the business of owning banks. The original

intervention in RBS was undertaken to protect the financial stability of the UK

economy, not to make a profit. With that objective achieved, the Government is

delivering on its intention to return the shareholding to private ownership when

market conditions allow and it represents value for money to do so. The proceeds of

this sale will go towards reducing our national debt.

Students: Private Rented Housing


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to The Guardian article entitled

Revealed: the developers cashing in on privatisation of student housing, published on 27

May 2018, what his Department's policy is on private providers of student

accommodation using offshore companies to minimise their tax liability, and whether his

Department is taking steps to limit that practice.

Mel Stride

Like UK companies non-resident companies pay tax on their rental income from UK

properties. There are commercial reasons for UK property being held through non-UK

resident companies. However, the government has taken action to remove the tax

advantages available from holding UK property through offshore companies. This

action includes:

making sure that offshore property developers are taxed on the profits they make

from developing UK land;

from April 2019 taxing non-residents on all the gains they make from UK land and

buildings;

and from April 2020, moving the taxation of rental income received by offshore

companies from income tax to corporation tax will ensure that the same tax rules and

tax rates will apply to property income no matter where the company is resident.

This action will raise significant tax revenue, and will ensure a fairer system for taxing

income and gains on UK property.


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the tax liabilities

of (a) private companies and (b) overseas investors that collect rental income from

student accommodation.



Mel Stride:

HMRC collects and holds information on income from property, including rental

income, from companies, partnerships and individuals through company and self-

assessment tax returns. However, information provided in tax returns is not detailed

enough to isolate and identify rental income from student accommodation from other

types of property income. Therefore it is not possible to identify businesses that

collect rental income from student accommodation, or to make an estimate of their

tax liabilities arising from such activities.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Karin Smyth: [150711]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the total amount of outstanding Tax

Credit overpayments which remain unrecovered by HMRC, for the most recent year for

which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss:

The total amount of tax credits debt owed to HMRC by March 2017 was £4.3 billion.

This excludes debt being recovered through ongoing personal tax credits award. This

figure can be found on page 25 of the HM Revenue and Customs Annual Report and

Accounts 2016-17, which can be found at the following link:


ent_data/file/635587/HMRC_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2016-17_web_.pdf

The above figure for the amount of outstanding overpayments is also shown on page

191 of the above under Impairment (Provision).

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund


To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 22 December

2017 to Question 120358, on Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund, what

the timetable is for publishing the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office Fund which

was completed in June 2015.

Victoria Atkins:

We intend to publish this report shortly.

Females: Voting Rights

Lucy Powell: [150137]

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how much of the funding under the

Women’s Suffrage Centenary Grant Scheme has been allocated; and what amount has

been allocated to each successful organisation who applied for such funding.


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/635587/HMRC_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2016-17_web_.pdf





Victoria Atkins:

The £1.5 million Women’s Votes Centenary Grant Scheme opened in December

2017.

It has two funding streams: the small grants stream has a ceiling of £2,000 to support

small local celebratory events. The larger grants stream covers projects from £2,000

to £125,000 that will increase young people’s understanding of and engagement with

democracy; and encourage women to participate in public life.

So far this year, 149 small projects have been allocated a total of £240,981 and 8

larger projects have been allocated £608,556 making an overall allocation from the

Grant Scheme of £849,537.

Money is being made available over the whole of the centenary year through 5

bidding rounds (3 small grants rounds and 2 large grants rounds) taking place from

December 2017 to September 2018. Round 2 of the Large Grant Fund closed on 17 th May and is currently being assessed.

The tables below show a) the breakdown of the first two rounds of the small grants

fund by region only (a further breakdown of all grants awarded through the Small

Grants Fund will be available on the grant scheme’s website (

www.womensvotecentenaryfund.co.uk ) from the end of June) and b) details of the

allocations to the eight large projects.

Small Grants Fund

ROUND 1 ROUND 2

Region Successful

grants

Amount Successful

grants

Amount

East Midlands 7 £13,736.79 4 £2,478.00

Eastern 6 £10,554.50 4 £7,840.00

London 16 £28,177.50 6 £10,857.00

North East 13 £21,112.50 3 £5,980.00

North West 17 £27,277.00 11 £13,262.00

South East 7 £9,385.00 12 £19,860.00

South West 5 £7,470.00 9 £13,299.00

West Midlands 9 £16,082.00 7 £11,470.00

Yorkshire &

Humber

6 £9,670.00 7 £12,470.00

86 £143,465.29 63 £97,516.00

http://www.womensvotecentenaryfund.co.uk/

http://www.womensvotecentenaryfund.co.uk/

Large Grants Fund

ORGANISATION NAME AMOUNT AWARDED REGIONS WORKING IN

National Trust for Places of

Historic Interest or Natural

Beauty

£114,748.00 East Midlands, North East and

South West

Cinema for All (previously the

British Federation of Film

Societies)

£65,582.00 North East, North West and

Yorkshire & Humber

Saathi House £68,972.00 West Midlands and Yorkshire

& Humber

Good Things Foundation £124,311.00 All England

Young Women’s Trust £58,350.00 East Midlands, London and

West Midlands

Essex Cultural Diversity

Project Ltd

£60,025.00 East of England

Feminist Archive £50,780.00 South West

Jacksons Lane £65,788.00 London

£608,556.00

WORK AND PENSIONS

Crummock: Insolvency


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with

the the Scottish Government on protecting workers pensions after Crummock went into

receivership.

Guy Opperman:

The UK has a well-established, effective and robust pensions rescue system. The

Pension Protection Fund (PPF) was set up to pay compensation to members of

defined benefit schemes where the sponsoring employer is insolvent. The PPF

ensures that people above their scheme pension age receive 100 per cent of their

pension, and those below their scheme’s normal pension age get 90 per cent of the

accrued pension, subject to an overall cap.

The Scottish Government has not approached the DWP on matters concerning the

protection of workers’ pensions after Crummock went into receivership.


The Independent Pensions Regulator that oversees pension schemes and operates

within the legislative framework put in place by the Government, has wide ranging

powers to take action where they have concerns.

Employment: Young People

Gavin Newlands: [905780]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to

increase youth employment.

Alok Sharma:

Youth unemployment has fallen by over 40% since 2010. Around 3.0 million young

people have left full-time education and have successfully found work, with the

employment rate for this group at 74.9%, up by 7.5 percentage points since 2010.

The Youth Obligation Support Programme was introduced in April 2017 to provide

intensive support for 18-21 year olds making a new claim to Universal Credit. This

programme starts with an intensive activity period of workshops and interventions

that encourages 18-21 year olds to think more broadly about their skills and job

goals, helps them identify any training they need, and supports them to improve their

job search, job application and interview skills.

We also believe that early intervention is particularly important, which is why we have

introduced Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools, which was trialled in 10 districts

starting in February 2016 and rolled out nationally in England only from November

2016. It helps young people make a smooth and effective transition from school to

work, training or further study. This support includes advice on the local labour

market, ‘soft skills’ employers expect such as teamworking and resilience, job search

skills such as CV writing and interview techniques, and the promotion of vocational

routes into employment

Occupational Pensions: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

Dr Dan Poulter: [150638]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have a work-

place pension as a result of auto-enrolment in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

constituency.

Guy Opperman:

In the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency, since 2012, approximately

11,000 eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 1,820 employers

have met their duties.

Automatic enrolment is a great success story with more than 9.6 million workers

enrolled into pension saving and over 1.2 million employers meeting their duties to

date.



Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many face-to-face health

assessment appointments have been cancelled by the supplier for (a) personal

independence payments, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) universal credit

in each of the last five years.

Sarah Newton:

The information requested is not collated centrally by DWP and could only be

provided at disproportionate cost.

State Retirement Pensions: Terminal Illnesses


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June

2018 to Question 148620 on State Retirement Pensions: Terminal Illnesses, if she will

take steps to enable people with confirmed (a) life-limiting conditions and (b) terminal

illness to draw their state pensions early.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant the Answer of 6 June

2018 to Question 148621 on State Retirement Pensions: Terminal Illnesses, whether she

has had discussions with charitable organisations for people with terminal-illnesses on

the potential merits of enabling those people to draw their state pension early.

Guy Opperman:

In 2016 John Cridland was appointed to conduct an independent review of State

Pension age. This independent review was informed by consultation with a number of

organisations, including on the subject of alternatives to a universal State Pension

age. These organisations included dozens of charities and third sector organisations,

which contributed to a written consultation and attended stakeholder events. A full list

of contributors can be found at page 114 of the review, Smoothing the Transition,

which is available on www.gov.uk.

John Cridland’s conclusion was that there should not be early withdrawal of State

Pension.

The Government agrees with this recommendation. However, it is not the case that

individuals will be left without support when they need it most. Anyone experiencing

hardship, including problems such as unemployment, disability, and coping with

caring responsibilities, can claim support from the welfare system.

The welfare system provides a safety-net for those experiencing hardship, with a

range of benefits tailored to individual circumstances.

The Government is committed to supporting the vulnerable and spends around £50

billion a year on benefits to support disabled people and people with health

conditions. There are special rules that apply to people diagnosed with a terminal




illness, where as a consequence of that disease, their life expectancy is reasonably

believed to be six months or less. They apply across Attendance Allowance (AA),

Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA),

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit, and provide a

guaranteed entitlement to benefit, with claims dealt with sensitively, without a face-to-

face assessment and under a fast track process.

Universal Credit

Frank Field: [151084]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent information she holds

on the number and proportion of people who drop out of the application process for

universal credit after (a) an initial attempt to make an online claim and (b) an initial

appointment with Jobcentre Plus staff.

Alok Sharma:

a) For Universal Credit Full Service claims made (declared) in November 2017 from

internal analysis carried out in March 2018:

- 71% of claimants were paid.

- 29% were closed and not paid. This could be for a variety of reasons, including

ineligibility.

b) For Universal Credit Full Service claims made (declared) in November 2017 from

internal analysis carried out in March 2018:

- 8% were closed and not paid, having attended at least one interview.

Notes:

This data is from DWP internal management information which does not form part of

the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with

the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department

holds on the number of people failing or ceasing to claim universal credit as a result of

the perceived complexity of the system.

Alok Sharma:

This information is not held.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of

universal credit claimants who are in employment are paid (a) monthly, (b) four-weekly,

(c) fortnightly and (d) weekly.

Alok Sharma:

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur

disproportionate cost.




However, based on current numbers of Tax Credit claimants paid on particular

patterns, we estimate the proportion of employees that are likely to be paid according

to different pay frequencies once Universal Credit is fully rolled out to be:

Monthly / four weekly: 69%

Weekly: 26%

Fortnightly: 3%


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June

2018 to Question 147881 on Universal Credit, what information his Department holds on

the number of claimants of universal credit that are in rent arrears.

Kit Malthouse:

Our published research shows that many people come onto Universal Credit with

pre-existing rent arrears. We also know that arrears are usually temporary and the

majority of claimants do succeed in paying their rent, managing their monthly

payments and clearing their arrears over time. In our research, the proportion of

Universal Credit claimants who were in arrears at the start of their claim fell by a third

after four months. The research is available at:


/universal-credit-extended-gateway-evaluation.pdf To note, the relevant section is

Page 33, Table 3.5. This report is from 2015.

Additionally, research carried out by the National Federation of ALMOs shows over

three quarters of their tenants come onto Universal Credit with pre-existing rent

arrears. This research can be accessed at

http://www.almos.org.uk/include/getDoc.php?did=7944&fid=9326. To note, the

relevant section is page 10, section 3.

We are currently carrying out further analysis of this issue with a number of housing

providers, to investigate and understand the true level of rent arrears for their tenants

and what is causing them. It will be published when completed.

The recently published Universal Credit Full Service Claimant survey discusses

claimants’ experience of managing Universal Credit and housing payments. It can be

accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-

service-claimant-survey


http://www.almos.org.uk/include/getDoc.php?did=7944&fid=9326

http://www.almos.org.uk/include/getDoc.php?did=7944&fid=9326

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-service-claimant-survey



MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts and Culture: Finance

Edward Miliband: [148667]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding

from the public purse has been allocated for arts and culture in Doncaster (a) in total, (b)

per head of the local population and (c) per head in England for the latest year for which

figures are available.

An error has been identified in the written answer given on 11 June 2018. The

correct answer should have been:

Michael Ellis:

The government is committed to ensuring that people from across the country have

access to our world class art and culture, and Arts Council England has worked hard

in recent years to ensure investment outside London has increased as a percentage

and in cash terms. In 2017/18, the latest year for which figure are available, Arts

Council England invested £1,383,998 in Doncaster (Local Authority region); the data

below outlines the funding allocated per head for Doncaster and England for the

same year. The £ per head figure may not provide a true reflection of the benefits that

Doncaster will receive from cultural investment across England, as many arts

organisations take their work across the country impacting regions outside the area

that they are based in.

£ PER HEAD BY DECISION YEAR

Year Doncaster England

2017/18 £4.50 £11.32


WRITTEN STATEMENTS

DEFENCE

Contingent Liabilities

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence (Guto Bebb):

[HCWS759]

I am today laying a Departmental Minute to advise that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is

retrospectively notifying Parliament about contingent liabilities not previously disclosed,

due to procedural errors. HMT recognise the urgency for these contingent liabilities to be

laid before Parliament and have approved them in principle. Final approval is expected

pending the outcome of a wider Departmental review, as part of the Balance Sheet

Review, being conducted by Her Majesty’s Treasury.

The Minute describes the contingent liabilities that the MOD holds against three Air

Command contracts, two Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and one Navy

Command contract. It is usual to allow a period of 14 Sitting Days prior to accepting a

contingent liability, to provide hon. Members an opportunity to raise any objections.

Regrettably, this was not done ahead of contract award in these cases and I sincerely

apologise for our failure to do so. The purpose of the Minute is to regularise the position

with Parliament. The contracts remain fully enforceable and the associated contingent

liabilities will be reported in the 2017-18 MOD Annual Report and Accounts.

Failure to notify these contingent liabilities prior to the award of the associated contracts

has been reported to the Public Accounts Committee. The Department has noted the

Committee’s concerns about this situation and fully accepts the need to follow the correct

approvals and reporting procedures. Air Command, DIO and Navy Command have put in

place a series of measures to address this issue including staff briefing, mandated

training, improving the clarity of internal guidance and procedures and additional controls

in the approvals process, to ensure compliance.

If the liability is called, provision for any payment will be sought through the normal

Supply procedure.

If, following the laying of the Departmental Minute, a Member signifies an objection by

writing to me, I undertake to examine the objection and respond to the member

concerned.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Multi-Agency Flood Plan Review Report

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Michael Gove):

[HCWS758]

On 3 November 2017 I announced that Defra and the Environment Agency would be

undertaking a review of multi-agency flood plans produced by local resilience forums

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-06-12/HCWS759/




(LRFs) in England, as part of the government’s ongoing work to address flood risk (

Written Statement - HCWS221 ). The remit of the review was to look at the effectiveness

and consistency of current flood plans, to identify good practice and provide advice on

how it can be spread, to help make sure we have the best plans in place across the

country. The review was led and overseen by Major General (retd) Tim Cross, as an

independent external reviewer.

I am very pleased today to be publishing General Cross’ review. I would like to extend my

sincere thanks to General Cross for conducting such careful, insightful analysis and so

quickly. The review report includes twelve recommendations which General Cross

developed in light of his discussions and evidence gathering with LRFs and specialists

across the country and he has brought to the fore important issues that need to be

addressed.

I will now consider the report’s recommendations in detail, in consultation with other

Departments, and will publish a Government response later in the year.

I have arranged for a copy of the report to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

JUSTICE

Justice & Home Affairs post-Council statement

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr David Gauke):

[HCWS760]

The Justice and Home Affairs Council took place in Luxembourg on 4 and 5 June 2018.

The UK was represented by a senior official from the Ministry of Justice on Justice Day (4

June). The Home Secretary represented the UK on Interior Day (5 June).

Justice Day began with a discussion on the Contract Law- Sales of Goods Directive. The

UK supported the Presidency’s approach of a single set of rules in this measure for all

goods (including those with embedded digital content), and on guarantee periods, but

expressed concern on the potential for full harmonisation of remedies. A more general

concern was expressed around the room, including by the UK, about the impact of the

remedies provisions on consumer protections set out in national laws. Work will continue

at technical level in line with the Digital Content Directive, taking this concern into

account.

The Presidency secured a partial general approach on the Insolvency Directive

provisions covering the discharge of debts for honest entrepreneurs, training for judges

and practitioners and data collection, in line with UK views.

There was a discussion around certain policy questions on Brussels IIa, with broad

support for circulation of provisional measures in relation to child abduction cases, as well

as the need for consent in relation to the placement of children in foster or institutional

care in another Member State. On the recognition and enforcement of judgments,

Member States were divided on whether (and how) to treat cases involving children

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2017-11-03/HCWS221/

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2017-11-03/HCWS221/



differently, with the Presidency concluding that further work would be required at

technical level.

There was a report on the preparatory steps needed to be taken to ensure that the

European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) becomes operational in 2020. The UK will

not participate in the EPPO.

Member States discussed the misuse of user data and the protection of democracy in

relation to Facebook. The UK provided an update on the ICO’s (Information

Commissioner’s Office’s) investigation. The Commission noted the importance of fully

implementing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and welcomed the

cooperation between the UK and Ireland on the Cambridge Analytica case.

Judicial training and the role of the European Judicial Training Network was discussed

over lunch. There was broad support for more money for the network in the next Multi-

Annual Financial Framework.

The incoming Austrian Presidency provided an update on their programme. They will aim

to achieve a general approach in a number of dossiers: insolvency, e-evidence, sale of

goods, service of documents and taking of evidence; political consensus on Brussels IIa;

and the adoption of the confiscation, Eurojust and ECRIS TCN (European Criminal

Records Information System – Third Country Nationals) measures. The July Informal JHA

Council will also include a discussion on mutual trust and mutual recognition, and

developing ECJ jurisprudence (in particular the Irish references on UK and Polish

European Arrest Warrants (EAWs)).

In a joint session of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers there was a policy debate on the

draft EU legislation on improving cross-border access to electronic evidence. Ministers

agreed on the need to explore further whether to include live intercept and direct access

in the scope of the legislation. The Council also reaffirmed widespread support among

Member States for a common EU approach towards the negotiation of an executive

agreement with international partners, and concluded that the Commission should submit

recommendations for negotiating mandates before the summer. The UK has a JHA opt-in

decision to take on this Regulation by 22 August.

Ministers adopted Council Conclusions on support for victims of terrorism. A new

Coordination Centre for Victims of Terrorism will bring together expertise and facilitate

coordination.

Interior Day began with a discussion on progress made on negotiations on the reform of

the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). Of the measures that make up CEAS,

the UK has only opted in to the recast of the Eurodac Regulation. Member States

remained split on the inclusion of a mandatory redistribution mechanism in the recast

Dublin Regulation. The June European Council will aim to reach agreement as a priority.

There was a policy debate on the Regulation amending the Schengen Visa Code. The

UK does not participate in the border and immigration aspects of the Schengen Acquis so

this legislation has no impact upon the UK.

Over lunch, Ministers exchanged views on the current developments on the migration

situation at the Eastern, Central and Western Mediterranean migration routes. The UK

reinforced our commitment to the EU-Turkey Statement and called for focus on breaking

the people smugglers’ business model and encouraged more action on strategic

communications. The Council agreed the immediate and short-term measures proposed

by the Presidency.

Ministers then exchanged views on enhancing cooperation between counterterrorism

authorities. The Council endorsed the importance of the Counter Terrorism Group’s work

and endorsed the call for heightened cooperation between intelligence and law

enforcement communities.

On internal security, the Council signalled continued support for the multidisciplinary

approach of the EU Policy Cycle to counter organised and serious international crime.

Finally, there was a discussion on co-operation between Common Security and Defence

Policy operations and EU JHA agencies. The Council was updated on the establishment

of the new ‘Crime Information Cell’ in the EUNAVFORMED Operation Sophia.

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